Lately by kat2299
by MariaKr
Summary: A timeless AU story written a few years ago, I decided to get it back online, since I have it saved on my computer. Will be updated once a week, and that's a promise. Better summary inside, it'll only take a minute to read. Rated T with possible M chapte
1. Chapter 1

My personal disclaimer: **THIS IS NOT MY STORY!** This story was started about 5 years ago I think, by a great author who went by the name of **kat2299** over on an ezboard I frequented back in my early fandom days. Because this story is AR it is a timeless piece, I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of your shipper preference because of how wonderfully written it is. I think it is such a shame it is nowhere to be found online anymore to my best knowledge, after that ezboard crashed, taking this fic as one of it's casualties. Luckily for my own sanity I had saved all the chapters to a Word document, that's how much I loved it.

A few years ago I managed to contact the author and ask her about this story. When she told me that she had lost the story when her computer crashed I was more than happy to give it back to her. My only regret is that I did not think to save any relevant Author's Notes. Another note, the chapters did not have titles at all (at leaast on that board) that's why they are only names chapter #. I am leaving this story EXACTLY as it was written, I will only spell check for typo's, if I am in doubt about something I will leave it as is in order to not mess with the original work. (The whole story is not written in the same style as the first few chapters are, just so you don't give up on it after this first chapter. They also get ALOT longer and oh so much better)

My plan is to update with a new chapter once a week. If I for some reason have to leave for longer than that I might not post until I get back, or I might leave you with the chapters that should be posted. I will ALWAYS make AN to the latest chapter if I have to leave. I will not disclose how long it ended up being, as that might ruin the suspense for people.

If posting stories that are not your own is not allowed by the disclaimer you may warn me, and I will delete this, I did not see a specific clause in the disclaimer I just approved.

If you are, or know of a person that went by the username kat2299 please send me a message, I would love nothing more than to get back in touch with you.

Ok, so on to kat2299's brilliant fic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

* * *

Lately, Ch 1 (Background):

Okay, here is the history of the story. The students are out of high school. All five "familiar" students (Lucas, Haley, Nathan, Peyton, and Brooke) go to the same college (okay, not very likely, but work with me here.) Lucas and Haley are roommates in an apartment off campus, and are just friends.

Ch 1:

Lucas Scott opened the door to the apartment that he shared with his best friend, Haley James, and tossed his bag to the floor. He walked through the living room area and straight to his bedroom, where he collapsed on the bed from lack of energy.

Not even a minute later, he heard the front door open, and a familiar voice calling out in frustration.

H- "Lucas! Get this crap out of the walkway! I have complained about this almost every day since we moved into this place, and I always come home to find your stuff right in front of the door! Why do I even bother?" she declared, and Lucas could hear her kicking his belongings to the side.

"Yeah, I would figured that you would have given up trying with me by now." Lucas called from his room, shielding his eyes with an arm, grinning despite his exhaustion.

He could hear Haley walking quickly on the hardwood floor toward his bedroom, and braced himself for another lecture.

H- "You are beyond hopeless!" she started, and then saw Lucas' nearly lifeless form sprawled on the bed, "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her voice and tone completely changing from one of irritation to that of concern.

L- "Yeah, I'm just wiped. I can't remember the last evening I had when I didn't have to go straight to work or to basketball practice." he answered, propping up on an elbow and resting his head in his hand.

Haley sat on the edge of his bed, and watched him carefully, "You know, you really ought to take a nap or something. You look awful." she said honestly.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Gee thanks, Hales. You really know how to make a guy feel good. Besides, it's not like you don't have a hectic schedule yourself, what with class, work, and the volunteering you do." he kidded, and Haley swatted his leg.

H- "It's not volunteering- it's interning, only I don't get paid. And it's just for another few weeks. But I'm serious, Lucas. You've been getting up at six every morning on weekdays to go to morning work-outs before school, then you have a full day of classes, and that is usually followed by basketball practice or work, and sometimes both. You need to try to take some time to re-energize."

L- "Thanks for the summary. I know you're right, Haley," he said when he saw her start to reply to his joke, "But I have a ton of work to finish for-"

H- "Oh please," she interrupted him, "You are so crazed right now, you don't even realize that today is Friday." she reminded him.

Lucas' eyes furrowed slightly, and he checked the date on his watch, "Okay, well, I guess I have something to be thankful for."

H- "Now you have no excuse not to just rest a little and call it a night. Take a nap, and I will fix us some dinner. Then, I'll pop some popcorn, and if you are still conscious later tonight, we can watch a movie or something." she said, closing his door so that he could get some sleep.

L- "Thanks, Hales," he called as she retreated into the hallway. Kicking off his shoes, Lucas crawled into his bed and was almost immediately asleep.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

Like I promised, here's the update-a-week. I had planned to update with this chapter sometime last week, since I got more of a reaction for the fic than I had expected, but the week got away from me. So, I give you chapters 2 and 3. Hope you enjoy.

And btw. I'd love to hear what you guys think about the fic as it goes along, I always love talking about it with others.

* * *

Lately, Ch. 2

Lucas woke up from his nap feeling somewhat more refreshed. He stretched, scratched his lean stomach, and checked his bed-side clock. And hour and a half had passed.

Sliding out of bed, Lucas padded along the hardwood floor in his bedroom and opened the door. He made his way into the living-area and saw Haley in the kitchen by the stove. She was stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce while talking on the phone.

H- "I know, I can't believe that he assigned the whole chapter by Monday, " she turned to see Lucas come in, "Hey, hold on," she said to the person on the phone, and covered the receiver. "Do me a favor," she said to Lucas, "Break those noodles and put them into the water." she motioned to the boiling pot on one of the burners.

She then turned her attention back to the phone call and continued, "Okay, I'm back." she stated as she took out two plates to set the table. She finished the conversation after she had placed the silverware and the salad on the table, and then checked the garlic bread in the oven.

Finally hanging up the phone, she turned her attention to Lucas, "So, are you feeling any better?" she asked, taking a second to grab two cups from the cupboard and placing them near the place settings.

L- "Yeah, definitely an improvement, but I am still wiped." he admitted, grabbing a cherry tomato from the salad bowl only to have his hand playfully slapped by Haley.

H- Five more minutes. Be patient." she pulled the bowl from his reach.

L- "I can't help it. I'm a growing boy." he grinned, settling into a chair.

Once dinner was ready, the two friends sat down to eat, and talked about their day. Haley did more of the talking at first because Lucas was busy eating.

Watching him, Haley teased him, "Take a breath there, Hoover. The food isn't going anywhere."

Lucas looked up from his plate, smiled sarcastically, and then continued eating. Finally, when his hunger was somewhat lessened, he wiped his mouth and started contributing to the conversation.

L- "I ran into Peyton on the way home. She says that she'll meet you here tomorrow at noon to go to the library."

Haley nodded, taking a bite of her meal, and then swallowing before replying, "We both have some research to do for a class, and then we were going to hit the mall. You interested in going with us?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

L- "Go shopping with two of the most indecisive people on the planet? I don't think so." he wiped his mouth again.

H- "I am not indecisive. I just like to make sure I see everything before making a purchasing decision." she defended herself, and Lucas ducked as she threw her napkin at him.

L- "Okay, well, my answer is still a 'no.' I was going to swing by Mom's to see her in the evening. You want to go?" he asked.

H- "Yeah, definitely. What time were you going to head there?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

L- "I was thinking around five."

Haley laughed, "Always planning ahead. That way you can be there for dinner."

L- "You know me so well." he answered, taking another piece of garlic bread.

H- "Alright, well, I will be back from the mall by then, so count me in."

--

That evening, Lucas convinced Haley to play video games with him for a while before they decided on a movie. They laughed and made fun of each other as they played, and finally, when Haley couldn't stand it anymore, they quit and settled with some popcorn for the movie.

Lucas and Haley both decided to go t bed after the movie at around eleven o'clock. Getting up first, Lucas leaned down to kiss the top of Haley's head.

L- "Good night, Hales." he said before heading to his room.

H- "Night Lucas." she yawned in reply, getting up herself.

Both of them were asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Lucas awakened at eight, and put on a t-shirt before leaving his room. He found Haley sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine, with her back to him. Unable to pass up a perfect opportunity, he sneaked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a hug and startling her.

"God, you scared me half to death!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping the magazine and turning her head to look at him.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You looked too peaceful." he grinned, rubbing his head.

He went into the cupboards in the kitchen and fixed himself a bowl of cereal, adding milk before heading to the couch to sit next to Haley.

"There's some coffee left if you want some." Haley offered, motioning to the coffee pot of the counter. Lucas nodded in thanks, and fixed himself a cup before settling on the cushions. He turned on the T.V. and found a cartoon to watch. Haley looked up at the screen and shook her head in dismay.

"I hate this show. At least pick a half-entertaining cartoon." she suggested, trying to reach for the remote.

Lucas blocked her attempt, "No, this is a good show. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Baby." she muttered under her breath, but purposely loud enough for him to overhear.

Lucas looked over at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, real mature, there, Hales." he said, trying not to grin. He reached over to grab her foot, but she was too quick, and shived her toes under one of the cushions.

"No! I am not in the mood to be tickled first thing in the morning!" she declared, preparing herself for an attack.

"Now who's the baby?" he asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

--

Later that evening, Peyton dropped Haley off at the apartment, after their afternoon of studying and shopping. Lucas had just finished getting dressed after his shower. He had gone to the gym for a quick practice, and was getting ready to go to visit Karen.

Entering the apartment, Haley and Peyton were talking animatedly as they set their bags down.

"Guess who has a date for Thursday night?" Peyton asked Lucas as she sat down in a nearby chair, while Haley handed her a soda.

"Good for you, Peyton. I guess you're finally learning to move on after our brief relationship." Lucas teased as he sat down to participate in the conversation.

Lucas and Peyton dated towards the end of their senior year in high school, breaking up before prom, and then reuniting briefly that same summer before breaking up for good before starting college. That was nearly two years ago, and they were definitely happier as friends.

"Ha ha," she said sarcastically before continuing, "Actually, Haley's the one with the date. She got asked out by a really cute guy shopping in one of the stores we were at."

Lucas looked over at Haley, who was taking a seat in the chair nearest Peyton, "Really? Miss 'I Don't Have Time For A Social Life' is actually making time for a date?" he asked, and Haley shot him a dirty look before responding.

"Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Peyton wouldn't let me make up any excuses not to go, so I guess I'm going." Haley answered, and Peyton smiled unapologetically.

"You haven't been on a date in months, and you haven't had a real relationship since Nathan." Peyton reminded her, and Haley rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for the reminder." Haley said, elbowing Peyton slightly. Nathan and Haley dated on and off through and after high school graduation, and had finally broken up for good about a year earlier. They were still on friendly terms, although Nathan didn't miss an opportunity to irritate Haley about 'what she was missing' now that they were no longer a couple.

"Hey, you have to get back out their sometime, and Brandon seems like a great guy. If he hadn't asked you out, I would have given him my number." Peyton said, popping a potato chip into her mouth.

"Well, then- if Peyton approves, you KNOW he must be a winner." Lucas said sarcastically, grinning at his own joke.

"Shut up, Luke- she dated you didn't she?" Haley laughed.

--

On the drive to Karen's, Haley filled Lucas in on how she had met Brandon, while browsing in a music store in the mall. He had asked her for CD recommendations and they got to talking. He had tickets to a concert for a band Lucas had never heard of, and she accepted the invitation.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry about the double upload guys (if you got two e-mails that is) I forgot to edit it before I uploaded it..beginner's mistake.

Dedicating this update to **EarnedDisillusionment** who remembers reading this, and had actually been looking for it. I'm only up to chapter 3, and already I've reached the purpose for uploading this again, not bad :)

If the chapter titles at the top start skipping ahead that's just because they are two off from here in my file for some reason. I'm not missing any chapters, so it must've just been a mistake by the author. Just so you don't get confused.

* * *

Lately, Ch. 3

Lucas and Haley were both greeted warmly by Karen, who saw them pretty regularly even with the 45 minute drive from their apartment to her house.

She was already preparing dinner, and Lucas and Haley helped her as they chatted and got caught up. Haley rinsed and made the salad, while Lucas set the table, and got out the necessary side items for their meal.

"So what have you two been up to for the past couple weeks?" Karen asked as she checked on the roast beef.

"Well, apparently, Haley's been scoping out the guys because she has a date this coming week." Lucas teased as he placed the plates on the table.

"Gee thanks for that description, Luke. I met a guy this afternoon and we're going to a concert on Thursday. Other than that bit of news, things are pretty routine." Haley told Karen.

"Well, good for you, Haley. I've always said that you needed to have more fun," Karen commented. She looked over to Lucas, "Be nice." she said to him jokingly. Lucas grinned, and shrugged.

"What'd I say?" he asked.

"I'm going to finish up my internship at the local paper in a few weeks, and hopefully afterwards, they will keep me on staff and actually pay me." Haley said, changing the subject.

"That's great, Hales." Lucas said congratulating her, and Karen agreed as she made the mashed potatoes.

Once dinner was over, they cleared the dishes, and Karen set out one for Keith, who would be returning from work soon.

She and Keith had become a couple almost two years earlier, to shock of some people, but not to Lucas or even Haley. Lucas accepted the relationship pretty easily, being a little uncomfortable at first, but then realizing that he loved them both and was grateful that they made each other happy. Keith moved in a little less than a year after that.

"So how are things at the diner?" Haley asked, taking a bite of her ice-cream as they all settled in the living room.

"Good. I hired a couple of new girls recently to help out, and one of them is a total disaster. I'm about to lose all of my patience with her." Karen responded.

"Uh-oh. Mom on the war-path is not a good thing." Lucas said, grabbing Haley's spoon from her hand and eating the bite of ice-cream that she was about to put into her mouth.

"Hey!" Haley protested, and pulled her spoon back.

"Sorry... I wanted a bite of chocolate." he apologized, although he didn't look sorry at all.

"Well, then you shouldn't have taken strawberry!" Haley answered, and Karen laughed.

"Honestly, Lucas." she said as Haley laughed and pulled her bowl closer to herself.

--

Keith returned shortly after, and as he ate, he joined the discussions that the other three were having.

"So how is Nathan doing?" Keith asked, taking a bite of his meal.

"He's fine. Still as obnoxious as ever, but what else is new?" Lucas said, shrugging.

Since high school, Lucas and Nathan had formed a mutual understanding and semi-admiration of each other. They almost acted like brothers a lot of the time. Lucas still did not have a relationship with Dan, but Nathan's communication with their father was limited with him as well, since he had come to realize that the man did more to harm those he claimed to love than help.

"When I talked to Debbie last week, she said that Nathan's really been keeping up with his classes this semester." Karen commented.

"Yeah, well considering his GPA last semester, I think he realized that he needed to get his act together unless he wanted to fail out." Haley said, getting up to set her bowl in the sink. She took Lucas' bowl for him as well.

--

Later that evening, Lucas and Haley got up to say good-bye to Karen and Keith, and went on their way back to their apartment. They both fought about what radio station they wanted to listen to in the truck, and kidded with each other the entire trip home.

The same evening, Haley and Lucas returned home and found a couple of messages on their answering machine.

Beep- "Hi Lucas, it's Megan. I was just calling to double check on the time that we're meeting tomorrow. I thought it was at seven, but I wanted to make sure. Give me a call-" said the voice on the first message.

Beep- "Hey Haley, I ran into Brooke and we were thinking about having a girls' night tonight. Give me a call if you want to come.-" Peyton's voice stated.

Beep- "Lucas, it's Jen. I just wanted to let you know I've been thinking about you. Call me back, okay?"

Lucas deleted the messages after he and Haley had listened to them, and Haley flopped on the couch.

"Well, Mr. Casanova, sounds like you missed some important calls tonight." she yawned, stretching out and wrapping her arms around the blue cushion and pulling it under her head.

"Yeah, well, what can I say... I'm irresistible." Lucas replied kiddingly, searching for the remote.

Haley tossed it to him after finding it on the side of the sofa, and he settled on the floor by her head.

"Yeah, and so modest, too." she answered sarcastically, flicking his head. Lucas ducked.

"So, you're not going to call Peyton back tonight, then?" Lucas asked a minute or so later.

"Nah- I'm not in the mood to go out tonight." she told him, her attention still on the program she was watching.

"You know, you really do need to go out more. You are so focused on school and work that you are missing out on what it means to be young." Lucas informed her.

"Oh, like what? Getting trashed, making out with a random stranger and waking up in a bed that I don't recognize?" she asked, smirking.

"You make it sound so cheap!" Lucas joked, and Haley rolled her eyes, "No, all I'm saying is- you need to make sure that you live a little while you can." he responded.

Haley shrugged, "I guess I'm just not into the typical things that people our age are interested in."

"I'm not saying you have to become the town party-girl. But letting loose once in a while isn't all that bad." he said, looking back at her.

Haley yawned, "I'm heading to bed. See you in the morning." she got up and hugged Lucas before heading to her room.

--

Later that night, Haley woke up freezing. She checked the thermostat and saw that the heater was off, so she turned it on, and then noticed that Lucas had fallen asleep on the couch.

Grabbing a nearby blanket, she spread it over him, and saw him suddenly wake up.

"Sorry, I was just trying to cover you up. It's freezing in here. I just turned the heat on." she whispered as Lucas sat up.

"It's okay. I should go to bed anyway." he answered, draping his arm around her as they walked back towards the bedrooms.

--

A couple of days passed, and Lucas and Haley were at home when Nathan dropped by.

"Hey, I was hoping you two would be home. What have you got to eat?" Nathan asked as Lucas answered the door.

"It's nice to see you too, Nathan. We're fine, thanks for asking." Haley said sarcastically from her seat at the kitchen table.

Nathan helped himself to the contents of the fridge, and then had a seat on the couch.

"What can we do for you, Bro?" Lucas asked as Nathan ate half of a turkey sandwich that he'd found.

"I just came by to say hi and to see if you two wanted to go skiing this weekend. I managed to talk my mom into letting me use the resort certificates she won. Since she doesn't ski, I convinced her I could put it to good use." Nathan answered.

"Where is this resort?" Haley asked, sounding suspicious.

"About an hour from here. I already talked Peyton, Brooke, and Tim into going, and Mike and Andy are trying to go, too."

"Wow, how many people are you able to take with you?" Lucas wanted to know.

"Well, I have tickets for two suites. I figure we can figure out sleeping arrangements once we get there." Nathan told them.

"Well, I have to see if I can get some work done before then..." Haley trailed off, trying to think of what she still needed to get done before the following week.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can count me in, but I gotta double check some things before I can give a definite answer." Lucas said.

"Let me know by tomorrow." Nathan said, "Hey, is that chicken I smell?" he asked in the next breath.

Haley sighed, knowing the hints would have started sooner or later, "Yeah, do you want to stay for dinner?" she asked, rolling her eyes, already knowing the answer.

"Sure, thanks." Nathan replied happily.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I make a promise to update every week, but then I completely drop the ball on that when I get a little bit busy with exams and such. But that's all over with, so I took the time to spell check the three chapters I owe, and one extra since you had to wait so long.

* * *

Lately, Ch. 4

Haley came home from her date on Thursday night exhausted and irritated. She had spent the evening listening to a group that she had somewhat enjoyed, and would have enjoyed more had it not been for the company she was with. Her date, Brandon, was a complete arrogant and oblivious jerk. She couldn't believe her luck.

As soon as she had gotten into his car (they had met at the mall since Haley wasn't sure she wanted him to know where she lived yet) he started spouting off useless facts to sound like he knew more than he did. His childish bravado made Haley realize just how long a night this would be.

Hoping that she would at least be able to enjoy the concert, Haley would soon find out how wrong she was. Brandon talked through most of the songs, and hardly asked her a single thing about herself, enjoying his own history far more than any other topic.

Kill me now. Haley thought as she tried nodding politely while trying to hint that she wanted to listen to the band by saying things like, "Oh, I love this song", or "The lyrics in this song are really cool."

Brandon remained oblivious to these veiled pleas for silence, and began stating his resume and his ambitions during a brief break between songs.

Finally, the end approached and Haley asked if they could leave early, giving the excuse that she had an early start the next morning.

During the car ride back to the mall (where Haley had her own car parked), she tried to smile and nod whenever Brandon paused for a breath, while silently cursing the events of the night, as well as Peyton for pressuring her to go out with this self-involved excuse for a date.

Finally home and completely defeated, Haley walked into the apartment to find Lucas on a chair in the living room, reading a book, with only a small light on.

"You're still up." she commented, taking off her shoes.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to finish a chapter, and I sort of got sucked in." Lucas said, putting his thumb between the pages to momentarily hold his place, "How'd your night go?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I'm glad it's over." she said unenthusiastically, walking over to the side of the couch near him.

"I take it not well, then." Lucas teased, and Haley glared at him briefly.

"I just want to meet a guy who is sweet, funny, intelligent, and caring. Is that too much to ask for?" she asked, "I am so glad that tomorrow is the Friday." she sighed without waiting for Lucas to answer, closing her eyes and leaning against the back of the couch.

"Speaking of Friday... I told Nathan that both of us can go skiing this weekend." he mentioned, putting a book mark in his book before setting it down.

"Huh? When did I make that decision?"

"Well, since Peyton and Brooke are going, and since you need to have some fun, I figured I would say 'yes' for you so you could blame me for not staying home and studying or working." Lucas informed her.

Haley groaned, "Fine. Yippee, I can't wait." she said sarcastically, rubbing her neck.

Lucas got up and walked over to sit next to her, placing a hand on either of her shoulders and massaging her neck and shoulders gently.

"Ooh, that is great. Thanks." she sighed, a little more contentedly this time.

Lucas continued and Haley and he could both fell her loosening up a bit.

"Now I know why I live with you. You're my built in best friend and masseuse." Haley stated, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, well the first massage is free, but after that I'm going to have to charge you." he kidded, his hands maneuvering gently over her upper back.

"There's always a catch..." Haley smiled a full smile this time.


	5. Chapter 5

Lately, Ch. 5

"This is going to be great!" exclaimed Nathan, as the rest of the group followed him into the ski lodge.

"Yeah, great," Haley muttered under her breath, and Lucas nudged her lightly as they walked side-by side.

"I'm so glad you could make it," Peyton said to Jake, who walked a few feet behind her.

"Me, too. When Nathan said that Andy couldn't make it, and my parents agreed to watch Jenny for the weekend, I figured I shouldn't pass up the opportunity." Jake replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Peyton and Jake became fast friends in high school, and although they didn't see each other often, they enjoyed each other's company.

"We are going to have so much fun," said Brooke, already cozying up to Mike, a tall, dark and handsome friend of Nathan's. She made the statement to the general group, but looked at Mike suggestively when she said it.

"Well, this is one weekend you will be happy you came out with us, Jake." Nathan said.

Once at the front desk, Nathan convinced the manager to give the group two suites, with a living area separating two bedrooms in each suite.

Brooke volunteered that she and Mike could share a room, platonically, of course, she added, and everyone smirked.

Peyton and Haley agreed to take a room together, and Nathan said that since he had made the deal in the first place, he should have a room to himself, while Lucas and Jake take a room. Since neither Jake nor Lucas particularly wanted to share a room with Nathan, they agreed.

The seven were led to their rooms, and were all impressed by the size and quality of their living quarters for the next few days.

--

After a few hours on the slopes, they all headed back to their rooms for showers, agreeing to meet in the downstairs restaurant for dinner in an hour.

Haley let Peyton take a shower first, and after they had both gotten dressed and were finishing up, Haley brought up the subject of Jake.

"So, you and Jake seem to be having a good time." she hinted, smiling slightly, as she finished brushing her hair after blow-drying it.

"He's a nice guy, if that's what you mean." Peyton answered nonchalantly.

"You two seemed pretty cozy in the snow, earlier." Haley continued.

"Well, Jake needed some skiing tips. He hasn't been skiing since middle school." Peyton mentioned, applying her lipstick carefully.

"Well, he's cute, and he seems to like you." Haley suggested, her smile widening.

Peyton glanced over, and rolled her eyes, "If you mean as a friend, then yeah."

"I'm just saying, I will bet you that something is going to happen with the two of you this weekend." Haley said boldly, and Peyton got so jumpy that she almost stuck her eye with an eyeliner stick. Haley cracked up.

"You're bad." Peyton said, sweeping her hand through her curls.

--

A few minutes later, at dinner, the groups had ordered and were talking animatedly as they waited for their meals.

Nathan wasted no time in finding a waitress to flirt with and invited her to join the group in their suite after her shift ended, for a small party.

Lifting her glass of water, Brooke proposed a toast, "To this weekend- may it change our lives." she lifted an eyebrow as spoke, "And to the drinks we'll be having upstairs after dinner." she added.

The others lifted their glasses of various drinks and they all clinked in response.

--

After dinner was over, they all headed back upstairs and Nathan declared that the living area that he shared with Lucas and Jake would be the destination of their party that night. He had managed to convince a few girls to come up to the suite later that evening, and Brooke had invited a few guys as well.

Deciding it was still early, Haley announced that she was heading back to her room to take an hour nap before the festivities began. Lucas and Peyton told her that one of them would be over to get her if she hadn't returned within an hour's time.

Haley walked down the hallway to her room and was welcomed by the darkness and the comfortable looking bed. She pulled back the covers and settled in, but not before setting the alarm to wake her.

An hour and ten minutes later, she was lying in bed, awake, but too comfortable to move just yet. She had turned off the alarm, and laid there, talking herself into waiting a few more minutes.

Just then, she heard the lock to her room click, and she knew that either Lucas or Peyton was coming by to collect her.

Lucas walked in, and flicked on the lights, "Wake up, sleepy-head," he announced, sitting on the edge of her bed. He moved a strand of her hair from her face gently.

"Do I have to?" she asked, stretching.

"Yes. If I'm going to make it through the night, you are going to have to keep me company." he insisted, "Now you have less than five minutes to get ready before I drag you back there." he slid over so she could get out of bed.

Running a brush through her hair quickly, she applied a swipe of blush on each cheek and put some Chap-stick over her lips before declaring, "Okay, let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

Lately, Ch. 6

By the time Haley and Lucas returned to the other hotel room, the party had obviously started. Music was coming from the stereo speakers, and the alcohol was flowing.

A few people that Haley didn't know were there, but it wasn't terribly crowded to her relief. The entire room knew to keep the party somewhat quiet.

"Haley! Grab a cup and join our game!" Brooke called as Haley entered.

Haley and Lucas walked over to the group, which consisted of Brooke, Peyton, Mike, Jake, and two girls and a guy that she didn't recognize.

"There you are, handsome. I was wondering where you ran off to." said one of the girls, putting her hand on Lucas' shoulder.

"I went to get Haley. Haley, this is Holly. She's one of the girls Nathan met this afternoon. She lives in town." Lucas explained.

Haley and Holly nodded to each other, "Nice to meet you." Haley said, and Holly answered, "Likewise."

Haley sat down on the sofa to watch the card game that they were playing, which involved taking sips of their drinks after each play.

"We're just starting a new game. You're playing." Peyton informed Haley, and Lucas sat across from her. Everyone had their cup and the cards were distributed.

A while later, everyone was getting a buzz, and the atmosphere was a bit lighter. Haley found that she was enjoying herself, and was catching up with Jake, Peyton and Brooke as they all played together. She was laughing and having a good time until she noticed that Lucas and Holly were seated in a corner of the room, talking intimately.

Biting her lip, Haley forced herself to focus her attention on the game and on the friends around her. Taking several gulps of her drink, Haley turned and held her cup out to Jake, "Hey, while you're up, can you get me another drink, too?" she asked him as he headed to the table where the alcoholic beverages were displayed.

"Sure thing." Jake answered, adding, "I'll be right back." to Peyton.

--

By midnight, people were beginning to get much more friendly with each other. Brooke and Mike had begun to flirt more openly and moved to a sofa on one side of the room to sit, where they made out without any embarrassment.

Peyton and Jake were very focused on each other, and although they were including Haley in their conversation, she was beginning to feel like a third wheel. Excusing herself, Haley walked over to where Nathan was seated, momentarily alone while the girl he'd been talking to went to use the restroom.

"Hey there, James." Nathan called to her affectionately, patting a seat cushion for her to take next to him.

"What's up, Scott?" Haley responded, taking the offer and sitting with him.

"You having fun?" he asked, taking a drink from his cup.

Haley nodded, "Surprisingly, yeah. So far anyway." she added, stealing a glance at Lucas and Holly.

"I'm glad you could come down with us this weekend. We don't get a chance to hang out much anymore." Nathan told her.

"I know. We're all busy, but this was a good idea. Thanks for inviting us all." she said genuinely.

"Not a problem," Nathan said, putting an arm around her casually. They both knew that this was a gesture of frienship and nothing more, and Haley realized that Nathan could be a nice guy when he wanted to be.

When Nathan's newest paramour returned, Haley excused herself, and went over to where Lucas and Holly say, newly joined by Jake and Peyton.

"Hales, come hang out with us." Lucas called as Haley approached. She settled on the floor against the sofa, and joined the conversation.

Several hours and drinks later, people were beginning to get tired. Brooke and Mike were the first to excuse themselves, and were chased out the door by sounds of cheering and hooting by a few of the guys. A bit later, some of the locals got up to leave, and thanked Nathan for inviting them.

Feeling a little dizzy, but nowhere near drunk yet, Haley got up to leave too. Peyton saw her friend moving towards the door and called out, "Haley, hold on- I'm coming too!"

Haley paused and watched and Peyton and Jake spoke for another minute or so, and then hugged. Jake managed to sneak in a little kiss by her ear, and whispered something to her, causing her to smile shyly.

Saying their good-nights, the two girls left the room, leaving Nathan with his new "friend", and Lucas and Jake busy talking to Holly.

Once in their own rooms, Peyton flounced on the bed and sighed, "Am I crazy?" she asked.

"Crazy? Well, in general, yes, but are we talking about something specific here?" Haley kidded, sitting on her own bed and facing Peyton.

"Yes, we're talking about Jake. We kissed." Peyton admitted, "A lot." she added with a guilty smile.

Haley's eyes bulged, and happily, she asked, "What? When? Where the hell was I?"

"A little while ago. We both went out to the balcony to get some fresh air, and it just... happened!" Peyton explained.

"Wow, this is awesome. I told you something was going to happen! Awww!" Haley squealed, and Peyton threw a pillow at her.

"So is he a good kisser?" Haley wanted to know.

"Yes," Peyton answered quickly, and both girls laughed, "I mean, he's really sweet, and it just seemed like the right thing at the time, you know?" she continued.

Haley nodded, "This is great, Peyton. And just think- You have another day- and night- to 

spend with him tomorrow." Haley reminded her as they got ready for bed.

"So what's up with Lucas and that girl he was talking to all night?" Peyton asked, and Haley was surprised by how irritated she felt to be reminded by that occurence.

"I don't know. I guess they're hitting it off." Haley shrugged, slipping into bed.

"Yeah, well, I can't really see them together. Now, Nathan on the other hand, is definitely going to have a sleepover with his new "friend". Peyton joked, and Haley laughed.

The next morning, Haley was awake and dressed by nine. Peyton was still sleeping, so she went downstairs to have some coffee and a bite to eat before the others woke up.

While she sat at a small table by herself, sipping on her coffee and reading a newspaper, she was joined by Lucas, looking newly awake and dressed in sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt.

"You're up early." he commented, stealing some of her danish from her plate.

Haley tried to stop him but wasn't quick enough, "So are you. Is everyone still asleep?" she asked after swatting him with her newspaper.

"Yup. I figured I'd come down and see what was going on." he answered, and Haley laughed.

"You came down because you were hungry." she said knowingly, and Lucas shrugged, "That too."

"So are you going to head for the snow this morning?" Haley asked him, eating the last piece of her danish before Lucas thuoght to grab it.

"Maybe later. I don't know yet. What about you?"

"Nah. I think I had enough of the cold yesterday. I may just hang out and read or something."

"You are not spending the whole day indoors. You are definitely going to go skiing this afternoon, even if I have to drag you out there myself." Lucas stated.

"Yes, sir." Haley saluted sarcastically.


	7. Chapter 7

Lately, Ch. 7

Once everyone was up and dressed, everyone decided to go skiing for a couple of hours, and the others convinced Haley to go along, giving the excuse that "the whole gang" had to go together.

Nathan's "date" from the night before, Kari, went home to run some errands, but promised to come by later that afternoon.

The snow was fresh and the scenery was beautiful, so Haley didn't feel completely bullied into joining the rest of the group.

Lucas watched his friends kidding around and interacting, and had a sudden feeling of closeness with them. He thought about the animosity he felt with Nathan when they first started to see more of each other once Lucas had joined the basketball team in high school. Now, he and his brother weren't quite the best of friends, but were definitely close and were there for each other.

He'd known Peyton, Brooke and Jake for several years now as well, and they all proved in their own ways that he could count on them.

Haley had been his best friend and support system for as long as he could remember. She was as important to him as his mother, or Keith. He considered her a part of his family. He had been worried when they moved in together, thinking that the close proximity would make them get on each others' nerves, but to his surprise, he'd been wrong. He got along better with Haley than with anyone else in the world.

Of course, they'd had their moments of irritation or disagreement, but it was always over quickly and they were back to their normal, sarcastic, teasing selves.

In the midst of his thoughts, Lucas was suddenly hit by a cold, wet, snowball. As it slid down the back of his neck, he turned to look for the perpetrator, and saw the several people surrounding him laughing and giggling.

"Okay, who's going to pay for that one?" he asked, shaking his head and trying to wipe the back of his neck with his gloved hand.

He saw Haley hiding behind Nathan, nearly doubled over from laughter.

"They- they dared me!" she exclaimed, between breaths of laughter.

"You better get a head start-" he warned her, and she made a break for the cluster of trees, hoping to hide behind one for long enough to have Lucas get bored and give up.

The rest of the group watched momentarily, but soon it was their turn to get onto the ski lift and Lucas raced behind his friends with a snowball, ready to retaliate.

Haley shrieked as she saw Lucas coming after her, making up time and gaining on her quickly.

"Wait, Luke- I'm sorry! I swear, I won't do it- ahhh!" she shrieked again as she whipped around a tree to use as a small shield between them.

"Lu-cas!" she whined, hoping that she could guilt him into backing off.

He approached, walking now, with the snowball in front of him.

"It's their fault. Nathan and Jake dared me to hit you. Peyton and Brooke were trying to talk me into it, too!" she insisted, trying to keep her face behind the tree.

Lucas was now opposite the tree, and tossing the snowball from hand to hand, waiting for the right time to make the toss.

"Pleeeaaasse." she said, bracing herself for the snowball to make contact with her.

"You played dirty. Why can't I get you back?" he wanted to know.

"Because I'm a girl?" she asked hopefully.

Lucas shook his head, "Not good enough."

"Because I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Nope." he shook his head again.

"Because you're my bestest friend in the whole world?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

Lucas hesitated, and then relented, "Okay." he said, dropping the snowball.

Haley smiled broadly and came around from behind the tree. She hugged Lucas, "Thank you!" she said.

"You're welcome. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to get back at you in some other way." he said deviously. Haley groaned, knowing that that warning might be worse than the snowball.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I didn't even have time to spellcheck this update, I should be asleep, but I needed to get this up for you guys

* * *

Lately, Ch. 8

The seven friends had lunch together, and then Lucas stood up to excuse himself.

"Listen guys, I'm going to go skiing with Holly for a little while. She told me about this great place that she knows about where there aren't a lot of skiiers. I'll be back in a couple of hours." he announced, leaving his share of the tab on the table.

"Don't forget that we have reservations for dinner at seven." Peyton reminded him.

"I'll be back in plenty of time." Lucas assured them, grabbing his jacket.

"Just make sure you're back by tonight. We're having another party." Nathan reminded his brother.

--

"Well, Brooke and I are going to head up to the room for a little while. Maybe watch a movie or something." Mike told the rest of the group. He and Brooke stood up and pushed their seats out, also leaving behind some money.

"Yeah, or something." Nathan kidded, and Brooke shot him a dirty look, although everyone knew she wasn't really upset by the comment.

"Let's go up to the room and watch some movies or something," Peyton suggested to the three remaining people left at the table.

"I think I'm going to head to the gym downstairs first, and then I'll join you three back at your room later." Nathan said, as the four of them got up.

So, Peyton, Jake, and Haley headed back to the girls' room and turned on the T.V. to find something to watch. Haley sat on her bed while Peyton and Jake sat on the other one.

They watched one movie, and then Haley decided to give the "couple" some alone time, and announced that she was going to go to the lounge area and read by the fireplace.

Peyton protested at first, realizing that Haley probably felt a little awkward, and wanting to reassure her that she had every right to be in the room. But Haley said she'd be back later and picked up her book. After making sure that she had her key-card, she walked out and headed down the hallway.

--

A couple of hours later, Peyton found Haley, engrossed in her book, a mug of hot chocolate next to her.

"Hey girl, you look like a poster-child for ski-bunnies." she said, announcing herself.

Haley looked up and smiled, "Yeah, roaring fire, hot chocolate maybe, but snuggled up on the couch with a book instead of a guy- not so much." she said as Peyton sat down.

"You really didn't have to leave earlier, you know." Peyton told her friend.

"I know. I just wanted to give you two some time to be alone without an audience watching your every move."

"Well thanks. But it was really unnecessary. Nothing happened." Peyton told her. Haley raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Okay, something happened, but not what you think." Peyton relented, "We kissed and that was really nice. But nothing else happened." she insisted.

"That's fine, Peyt- you don't have to explain anything to me. I'm just glad you're having fun. Jake's a great guy." Haley assured her.

"Speaking of Jake- he and Nathan went to get some more alcohol. Don't ask me why they're insisting on risking getting in trouble with a fake I.D., but they should be back soon. Lucas is back, too, and he'll be down in a couple of minutes." she mentioned.

"Well, we still have a couple of more hours until dinner. What are we going to do?" Haley asked, and Peyton shrugged, "I don't know, we'll probably just hang out and play cards or something. Brooke stopped by and is trying to talk everyone into playing some ridiculous middle school game tonight- like 'Truth or Dare' or that dumb closet game. Nathan suggested the 'I've never' game."

Haley looked unsure, and Peyton explained, "You know, everyone has a turn and says something like "I've never had sex in a public place... and anyone that has takes a drink or whatever. Of course, Brooke would probably have to drink after all of the statments, the girl's so wild." she said, and Haley laughed, knowing that the comment was not meant to be catty- just honest. "It's all crazy, but who knows, it might be fun." Peyton shrugged.

Haley groaned, and shook her head, "Knowing Brooke and Nathan, they'll convince everyone to play one of their stupid games."

"Well, if anything, it will be an unforgettable night." Peyton remarked, and Haley nodded, knowing she was probably right.

* * *

I hope you liked this, that's the last you'll be getting for two weeks, since I'm going on a trip in a couple of hours. I didn't want to do the same hit-and-run as last time I forgot to update, so now at least you know. So, two chapters sometime around the 12th of June...

Until then,

Bye


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: My vacation is over, and I'm back to bring you two new updates.

Enjoy!

* * *

Lately, Ch. 9

Brooke came down and found Peyton and Haley, and suggested that they have some "girl time" before dinner to get ready for the party. Peyton and Haley agreed, and soon they were joined by the guys.

"We'll see you boys later. We're heading upstairs for a while until dinner." Brooke told them.

"Ooh- sounds dirty. Can I come?" Nathan asked.

"No boys allowed." she answered simply, ignoring the comment, "Now let's go- we only have a little more than two hours." she told the girls.

They headed to Peyton and Haley's room, where Brooke immediately took over and declared that they would be having a make-over party, and doing each other's hair and make-up.

Peyton and Haley conceded, and Brooke got to work setting up, while Peyton got into the shower first. Brooke headed to her room to get the necessary supplies, and gathered hers, Haley's and Peyton's make-up to decide what she would be using.

Once all three girls had had their necessary showers, they sat in their bathrobes and got to work.

"You should really use this color on your cheeks. It's much warmer than your blush." Brooke told Haley as she brushed the color over her cheeks with a make-up brush.

"It does look good, Haley." Peyton admitted, watching the process.

"You're next, Peyton. Get ready." Brooke told her.

"I don't want a lot of make-up on tonight, Brooke. Make sure it looks pretty natural, okay?" Haley requested, suddenly picturing herself painted up with thick colors.

"Of course, hun. I'll be good." Brooke promised.

"So Brooke, things are going well with Mike?" Peyton asked, bringing up the subject of boys.

Brooke grinned gleefully, "So far, so good. Mike's a sweetheart." she added.

"You seem to be a good match." Haley admitted, and Brooke nodded cautiously, "Yeah, I kinda like him."

"Speaking of good match," Brooke continued, "What's up with you and Jake?" she asked Peyton, twisting open a mascara wand and beginning to apply some on Haley's eyelashes.

"Remember- natural." Haley interrupted.

"I know, I know. So... Jake?" she repeated, unwilling to drop the subject.

"Jake- is, well... Jake." Peyton hedged.

"And you like...?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, I like." Peyton admitted, unwrapping her hair from her towel, and shaking it out, running her fingers through it to maneuver the curls, "I like spending time with him, and he's a really sweet guy."

"And a good kisser." Haley blurted, laughing as Brooke exclaimed, "Woo-hoo!"

"Gee thanks for that." Peyton said, grinning.

"Tell me more." Brooke demanded, picking up her next weapon of beauty.

"I think that we'll be spending more time together after this weekend." Peyton admitted.

"And the fact that he has a kid doesn't freak you out?" Brooke asked.

"Not really, no. I mean, right now, things are good. And I've met Jenny- she's a doll. We'll see how things go." Peyton answered, applying some hair-products to her curls.

"Now all we need to do is find a man for our little Haley!" Brooke proclaimed, handing Haley a mirror to show her the results.

"Hey- not bad, thanks, Brooke." Haley said, changing the subject with the one comment.

"Any time. Now onto my next victim." Brooke waved Peyton over to sit in Haley's place.

Haley unwrapped her towel, and Brooke told her that she would be doing her hair after finishing Peyton's make-up, so she should only put in some hair product if necessary, but to leave the rest to her.

Finally, nearly an hour later, Peyton's hair was styled simply by pulling a few of the strands from the sides by her face back and pinning them together. Haley's was dried straight and sleek, and Brooke had hers up with some strands framing the sides of her face.

The girls all wore jeans and nice tops, determined not to make it seem like they had tried too hard by wearing anything fancier.

By seven, they exited their room, and were greeted by the guys, who made cat-calls and whistled.

"Damn, you three are going to put any women out there to shame." Mike said, kissing Brooke on the cheek.

"You all do look good." Jake said, looking mostly at Peyton.

"Is that mascara?" Lucas asked Haley, teasingly. She elbowed him in the ribs and rolled her eyes.

"God forbid I act like a girl." she commented to Nathan.

"You are most definitely a girl." Nathan said, not missing an opportunity to flirt mildly.

"Let's go have dinner and then come back for the real party." Mike suggested as they headed to the restaurant.


	10. Chapter 10

Lately, Ch. 10

After dinner, everyone headed back to the guys' room to continue the fun. Kari joined them at around this time, and Nathan, of course, focused his attention on his new "friend".

The friends got settled with drinks, and everyone was having fun and joking around and dancing.

"Okay, let's something fun, like strip poker or something," suggested Brooke, trying to get the party off to a good start.

"Let's not." laughed Haley, taking a sip of her drink.

"Come on guys- you all are no fun!" Brooke said, slumping onto the couch next to Mike.

"How about we wait on the games until a little later," Nathan suggested, trying to appease Brooke.

At around that time, Holly arrived. She said a polite hello to everyone and then directed her attention to Lucas. Haley felt a twinge of irritation but was thankfully interrupted by Jake, who was carrying small plastic shot cups, a bottle of tequila, a shaker of salt, and some lemon and lime slices.

"Who's up for a shot?" he asked, spreading the contents on the living room table in front of the couch.

"I'm in." Haley said, and Peyton also nodded her head. They shook some salt onto the side of their palm, licked it off, downed the liquor, and stuck the fruit wedges into their mouths.

"Hey! Where's mine?" Brooke wanted to know, approaching the trio.

Jake started to fix her a shot when Brooke announced, "You all have to do another one with me. I can't make a toast drinking by myself."

He fixed the four of them a shot, and they all set up the drink with the salt and lemons. Brooke held up her shot and toasted, "To one crazy night."

The liquid slid down Haley's throat and she sucked on the lemon, and was immediately handed a beer by Nathan to chase the liquor down with. Taking a sip, she handed it back to Nathan, and he shook his head, "Keep it, I'll get another one."

Thanking him, she kept the beer by her side, and became engrossed in a conversation in which Peyton and Brooke were reminiscing about high-school.

--

By eleven, a few more people had arrived, and more alcohol was brought in as well.

Haley noticed that Lucas was keeping more to himself while Holly was near him. She watched as the two of them talked quietly on their own, and Holly touched Lucas' hand as she leaned closer to him.

"Who's that girl Lucas is hanging out with tonight?" Brooke asked Haley, while they were both going to get another drink.

"She's the same girl he met yesterday, remember, Holly?" Haley reminded her, and Brooke laughed.

"What's so funny?" Haley wanted to know.

"Holly and Haley- what a coincidence..." Brooke answered, "Lucas sure has a thing for girl's whose names start with that letter."

Haley didn't really see the humor in the comment, but she shrugged it off.

Lucas watched as Haley took another drink, and made a mental note to keep track of how she was doing, knowing that she usually didn't drink much.

"So, which one of the girls is your roommate again?" Holly asked, looking over at the girls that Lucas was close to.

"That would be Haley. She's the one with the reddish brown hair over by my brother, Nathan." Lucas told her, motioning to Haley.

"She's cute. How did you two end up living together, anyway?" she inquired.

"She's my best friend. We've known each other for years." Lucas stated, setting his beer down.

"Oh, so you two aren't..." Holly trailed off, hinting that there was more to the relationship.

"Me and Haley? No, we're just friends." Lucas shook his head, glancing over at Haley, who was laughing at something that Jake and Nathan were discussing.

"Really? I would have thought, you know the whole 'friends with benefits' idea-" Holly said, flipping her hair back.

"Haley's not the type of girl to think of sex so casually." Lucas said truthfully.

"But I'm sure you've thought about it." Holly replied, and Lucas paused, watching Haley.

--

"I am not going to answer that-" Haley insisted, as the group of her, Peyton, Nathan, Jake, and Brooke started playing a mini-version of 'Truth or Dare'.

"You have to, Haley. Have you ever had a one-night-stand?" Nathan asked, and the group waited for her answer.

"Well, if I say no, then I'm not adventurous, and if I say yes, then I'm a slut." Haley weighed her options.

"No you're not. I've had one." Brooke shrugged, "And I'll bet everyone else here has, too."

"C'mon, answer the question, Clare!" Peyton kidded, using the line out of the movie "The Breakfast Club". Everyone laughed and repeated it, "Answer the question, Clare!"

Haley giggled, and announced, "No, I never did it!" which was the response in the movie, adding "Seriously, I almost did, but it didn't pan out." she admitted.

"Okay, Nathan's turn," Brooke said, "Truth or Dare?" she asked.

"Dare." he answered without hesitation.

"Hmm- adventurous, are we? Okay, I dare you- to go streaking across the room- right now." Brooke announced.

Nathan got up, and started removing his clothes. The girls shrieked, laughing, and Jake groaned, covering his eyes. Nathan strutted across the room without any embarrassment, and the other guests in the room turned in surprise to see him wearing nothing but a smile.

Lucas watched this scene with amusement and rolled his eyes, avoiding actually looking at what was happening.

Nathan returned to the roaring group, and casually put his clothing back on.

"Okay, Brooke- 'Truth or Dare?" he asked, once his clothes were back on.

"Dare." she said confidently.

"I dare you kiss either Peyton or Haley." he grinned.

Brooke looked at both girls, her eyebrows raised, "Don't look at me." Peyton answered, shaking her head and laughing.

"No way." Haley agreed.

By now, Lucas and Holly had walked over to the group to observe.

"Come on! Someone has to do it. Those are the rules." Nathan stated, folding his arms.

"I'm not kissing a girl." Haley shook her head, and Peyton added, "Me neither."

"Well, I was willing, so that should count." Brooke shrugged, turning her head and seeing Lucas and Holly nearby, "Lucas, come join the fun." she offered.

Lucas grinned and shook his head, "Nah, no thanks."

"Come on! Truth or Dare?" Brooke asked him, and now all eyes were on Lucas.

"He'll take a dare." Nathan answered for his brother.

Lucas started to protest, but his response was drowned out by Brooke.

"I dare you to kiss Haley!" she raised her eyebrow, and turned to look at Haley, "You chickened out of kissing me, and you can't decline two dares in a row!" she said, smiling.

"It's not even my turn!" Haley protested, her cheeks growing a little flushed from embarrassment at the sudden focus on her again.

"It's only fair!" Brooke said, waiting to see what would happen.

"I never said I was playing!" Lucas said, trying to find a way to avoid the issue or at least change the subject, his eyes glancing at Haley to see her reaction.

"Oh please! One little kiss is not going to kill you. You know you want to!" Brooke pressed the issue.

Seeing that this was becoming an uncomfortable situation, Peyton ended the game, "This is dumb- let's go dance." she announced, grabbing Haley's hand and dragging her to the area by the stereo where others were dancing.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Haley gratefully thanked her friend, "Bless you." she said.

"Brooke didn't mean anything by all of that- she was just trying to get everyone involved." Peyton assured her.

"I know. It's no big deal." Haley shrugged, trying to act like she wasn't affected.

Lucas watched as Haley and Peyton went to the other side of the room, and the rest of the group soon dispersed as well.

--

A little after two in the morning, just about everyone had at least a buzz going, and things were starting to wind down.

Haley watched as Peyton and Jake got closer during the night, and she had an idea.

Haley pulled Peyton aside and told her that she was going to give her and Jake the room for the night, insisting that she would stay in the living room on the couch. Peyton said no, and tried to convince Haley that the room was hers, too, and she didn't have to give it up.

Lucas overheard the conversation and interrupted the girls, "Haley can stay in our room in Jake's bed. It's fine." he told them.

"What about you? I don't want to impose on you and Holly." Haley mentioned.

"Nothing is going to happen with me and Holly. It's not a big deal. She's leaving now anyway." Lucas shrugged.

Holly returned with her coat, and Lucas walked her to the door. Haley watched as she handed Lucas a slip of paper, presumably with her phone number on it. Lucas closed the door and returned to the two girls.

"Are you really sure?" Peyton asked, glancing over at Jake, who was standing by the window, talking to Mike.

"I'm positive." Haley repeated again. Peyton nodded and hugged her friend good-night. Jake then came over to the girls and Peyton and Jake headed out as well.

--

About an hour and a few more drinks later, everyone was either leaving or already gone. Haley had momentarily sat down to rest her eyes, and when she woke up, she found that everyone was gone, and Lucas was gently tapping her shoulder.

"Time to go to bed." he said, crouched down to her level, trying to wake her quietly.

Both had had a bit more than usual to drink, but neither was too far gone. Haley stood up quickly, and swayed slightly.

"The room's spinning," she giggled, leaning into Lucas, who grabbed her elbow and put one arm around her waist.

"Yeah, well, it'll stop once you go to sleep." he said, walking carefully with her to the bedroom.

"I'm not sleepy." Haley replied, tripping over an empty beer box, and falling with Lucas against a wall. Lucas landed with his back against the wall, and Haley fell into him.

"Sorry." Haley giggled slightly, and then tilted her head up to look at Lucas.

"It's okay." he said, and neither of them moved for a moment.

Then, suddenly, Haley leaned forward a bit more, and caught Lucas' lips between hers.

Lucas stood frozen for a brief moment, but when he felt Haley's tongue slide over his bottom lip, he growled slightly and returned the kiss. They remained like this for a while, kissing frantically, and then began to move towards the bedroom door, feeling their way against the wall until Lucas' hand landed on the doorknob.

* * *

A/N: I was almost very evil, I had every intention to leave you at this point and run off for my two week vacation. Only I didn't have time to update, except with the one chapter.

See you all in a week...


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So the weather's been so nice over the weekend I almost forgot I had to update this thing for you guys. Hope I didn't drive anyone crazy with the extra days of waiting.

Since this is the first thing I post on here I'm not quite sure how the rating system works. I made the fic T with possible M chapters, and I guess this is the first of the M chapters. You have been 'warned'

Enjoy!

* * *

Lately, Ch. 11

Lucas finally managed to find the doorknob to the bedroom, and he and Haley nearly fell through as he opened the door. Haley grabbed Lucas' shirt and pulled him against her as she moved towards the bed. Lucas kissed her hard, unable to get enough of her. His fingers moved to her hair and he threaded them through her long auburn strands.

Haley found the edge of his shirt, and began to pull it up, revealing the skin underneath. Lucas followed her lead and pulled his shirt over his shoulders and head, and then slid it over his arms as he slipped it off. Haley found his lips again quickly, aware of the brief loss while the shirt was being removed. She trailed her fingers over his taut stomach muscles and onto his chest as their mouths moved over each other. She momentarily placed her hands on his broad shoulders and felt his warm skin beneath her equally warm hands.

Moving so that Lucas was against the bed, Haley sat him down and then straddled him. His hands found her back, and then rested on her hips as she unbuttoned her blouse, removing it so that she was wearing just her bra. Lucas watched this event with a mixture of amazement and confusion, What is going on? How is this happening? he asked himself.

Slowly, he slid his hands across her back, and up towards her shoulders. His fingers moved down her arms and to her hands, which he entwined with his own. Haley shivered slightly, and shifted, causing Lucas to grit his teeth and exhale sharply.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned, looking into his gorgeous eyes.

"Yeah," he grinned, a little embarrassed, "Definitely okay," he said as he leaned forward to kiss her again. He couldn't get over how soft and full her lips were. Why hadn't he ever kissed her before?

Haley smiled, understanding after hearing his answer, and ran her fingers through his hair, twisting it slightly, "I want you." she whispered into his ear, kissing it afterward. She continued the trail with her lips and tongue to his neck, throat, and collarbone, and Lucas moved so that Haley was lying on the bed, and he was above her.

"God, I want you, too." Lucas admitted, one hand on either side of her, propping himself above her. Haley snaked one hand around his neck again and pulled him into another kiss.

Lucas' tongue found hers, and he grinned as she tasted him boldly. He flicked his tongue over her lips and she moaned softly. Pulling back slightly, Lucas watched as Haley leaned forward to remain close to him. She propped herself on her elbow, and Lucas swept a strand of her hair from her face, and then slid his hand through her hair and moved to close the gap between them again. "You feel so good." he told her, his lips moving to her throat and began traveling lower. "Don't stop." she replied.

It was then that Lucas looked into her eyes, and paused. He suddenly realized how quickly things were moving, and started having second thoughts.

"Haley, what are we doing?" he asked her.

Haley leaned forward to kiss him again, and when he pulled back a little, she asked, "What do you mean, 'what are we doing?' We're both grown-ups, Lucas."

She managed to kiss him then, and he started to give in, but then broke away again.

"You've been drinking." he reminded her, shifting onto his side carefully.

"A little. So have you-" she told him. "All the more reason to slow things down." he answered.

"Lucas, I'm fine-" she insisted, sensing the awkward moment approaching.

"I know. I just don't want to-"

"You don't want to do this. You don't want me." Haley said simply, feeling uncomfortable suddenly.

"No, Hales, that's not what I-" Lucas tried to tell her that that was the exact opposite of how he was feeling, that he did want her- and that was why he wanted to slow things down and wait.

"No, it's fine. You're right. We shouldn't be doing this." Haley said in a shaky breath. She felt tears stinging behind her eyelids, and was determined not the let herself cry in front of him.

"Haley, please just-" Lucas started, pleadingly.

Haley cut him off, sliding her blouse back on quickly, and getting up, "Let's just drop it, Luke. I'm suddenly really tired." She started walking over to the bed on the other side of the room. Lucas reached out to take hold of her arm, but stopped himself, afraid that she was upset with him.

Haley sat on the bed and pulled a pillow to her, pulling herself onto the bed completely, and then resting her head on it.

Lucas closed his eyes briefly, and exhaled sharply. He watched Haley for a moment, and then sat on his own bed again. He slid his shoes off quietly and then got up and walked over to Haley's bed. He pulled the covers over her carefully, and then stood there, trying to decide what he should say or do.

He decided to go back to his own bed and lay down, resting his arms under his head. He watched Haley's silhouette in the darkness tried to go to sleep.

Haley remained as still as she could, hoping that Lucas would think that she was asleep. She felt tears slide down her cheek and did the best she could to wipe them away quickly. She scolded herself as she tried to will herself not to cry, He doesn't want you that way, Haley. He doesn't think of you that way

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I feel like I need to let this thing get bit more of a momentum going, plus I never did give you an update over the weekend. So here are two new chapters for your enjoyment.

* * *

Lately, Ch, 12

Lucas woke up first the next morning. Visions of the night before entered his mind before he even opened his eyes. Kissing Haley, her hands on his skin, and the closeness between them. He smiled briefly until he opened his eyes and saw Haley asleep on the other bed. Only then did the full extent of what transpired come back to him, and he felt a knot in his stomach tighten.

He knew he had upset her last night, although he hadn't meant to. He cursed to himself as he thought about the look in her eyes when she walked away from him.

Slowly sliding out of bed, he walked over to the other bed and sat down on it carefully. He watched Haley sleep, and grinned reflexively at the sight. Without thinking, he wiped a strand of her hair from her face so that he could see her entire face, and his breath hitched as he looked at her.

Feeling movement near her, Haley slowly opened her eyes, and as her vision cleared, she saw Lucas sitting next to her. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and had his usual smile on his face, where his eyes crinkled- something she had always secretly loved about him.

"Good morning, Sunshine." he whispered, his voice a little raspy.

Just then, Haley remembered what had happened only hours before, and the look on her face changed and became distant, "Morning," she answered quietly, sitting up in bed.

There was an awkward silence, then they each spoke simultaneously.

"Listen-" they both said.

Lucas' mouth turned up into a smile and Haley looked back and forth between his eyes and down at her hands.

Lucas' intention was to tell Haley that he wanted to discuss how their relationship had changed last night, and explain to her that he wanted to take their friendship to a romantic level, something he had thought about before, but had never been brave enough to speak to her about.

Haley continued first, however, "Look, Luke, I just want to say 'thanks' for not letting last night get out of hand. I'm sorry for what happened- or almost happened, and-"

"Haley, you don't have to apologize. I-"

"No, I do. You were right. I'd been drinking. I wasn't thinking clearly. You'd been drinking. It was a mistake from the start." Haley said quickly, wanting to let Lucas know that she wasn't harboring any feelings for him other than friendship, which was a lie.

"Is that what you really think?" he asked, more than a little disappointed.

"Absolutely. We just got in way over our heads, and swept up in... whatever it was. It would have completely ruined our friendship if we'd slept together." she nodded, finally looking up at him.

For a split second, she thought she saw a look of hurt on Lucas' face, but it was gone immediately, and she was sure she had imagined it.

"Okay, then. I'm glad we sorted that out." Lucas said, trying to make his voice sound as normal as possible, although to him it sounded hollow.

"So- friends?" Haley asked brightly.

"Of course. Friends." he replied, and she hugged him.

"Good. Now we can forget it ever happened." Haley said, getting up and walking to the bathroom, closing the door.

Lucas watched her as she retreated, and his heart sank as her words struck him, How can I forget that it ever happened when it's what I really want? he asked himself, glancing out the window and then closing his eyes.

Once hidden in the bathroom, Haley leaned against the door, and exhaled, closing her eyes. Looking at herself in the mirror, she spoke to herself, Forget it, girl. You're never going to be anything more than a friend to him.

--

Both of them managed to act reasonably normally as they met up with the rest of the group for breakfast an hour later. Peyton sat between Haley and Lucas, and sensed a weird kind of tension between the two of them.

When everyone decided to go skiing once more before packing up to head back home, Haley was set to join the rest until she saw Holly approaching with her equipment. Pausing suddenly, she made up an excuse to stay behind, "You know what, guys? I'm a little hung-over from last night. I think I'm going to hang out here and finish my book." she said casually.

Most of the group said okay, and waved to her as they walked to the door.

Peyton watched as Lucas observed Haley carefully, as if wanting to say something. Instead, he just turned and walked with the others. Peyton stayed behind briefly, and asked Haley, "Is everything okay?"

Haley nodded emphatically, "Sure. Just a little dehydrated." she joked.

"Is something up with you and Lucas? You two seem to be avoiding each other a little."

"Everything's fine." Haley shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"Uh-huh. Well, I'll get it out of you somehow..." Peyton said, not giving up that easily.

"Go have fun. I'm fine." Haley said, rolling her eyes, trying to seem unaffected.

Peyton nodded and walked away, turning once to look at her friend. She knew something was up, but she wasn't sure what exactly.


	13. Chapter 13

Lately, Ch. 13

On the way back home, Lucas thought about a short conversation he had with Nathan during their last hour on the slopes.

Nathan walked up to Lucas while Holly was talking to Brooke and Peyton, and casually stood by his brother.

"So, things going okay with Holly?" he asked as they glanced over at the girls.

Lucas shrugged, "Yeah, she seems like a sweet girl." he told him.

Nathan nodded, "That's good. Haley seems like the perfect girl for you." he said, walking back to where Mike and Jake were talking.

"You mean Holly." Lucas said, looking over at Nathan as he corrected him, and Nathan shook his head, "No, I didn't." He turned his head and continued walking.

--

After everyone had packed up and gotten their things to the front desk, Peyton asked Haley to ride with her and Brooke, and told the guys that they wanted to have a 'girl's chat' on the way home, so the guys would have to ride together.

On the way home, Peyton confronted Haley with her concerns. Brooke listened in the back seat.

"Now tell me what really happened with you and Lucas last night. Why are you two so weird around each other now?" Peyton asked determinedly.

Haley looked at her quizzically, and Brooke, hearing this for the first time, leaned forward, "Oooh- what happened?" she asked curious.

"Nothing happened." Haley said, looking at Peyton and then back at Brooke.

"Did you two have a fight last night or something after Jake and I left? Was it about sharing the room together?" Peyton inquired.

"No- it was nothing, really." Haley stuck to her story.

"Come on, spill. We're going to find out eventually." Brooke tried to convince her, turning down the stereo.

Haley groaned, irritated but relentingly, "Fine... we'd been drinking, and..."

Brooke's eyes bulged as she blurted, "You slept with Lucas?!"

"No!" Haley said quickly, shaking her head, "I...almost slept with Lucas." she added, leaning her head back onto her headrest and closing her eyes, trying to erase the memory.

"Holy crap! You and Lucas!" Brooke exclaimed, a smile spreading on her face.

"It's about damn time." Peyton said, laughing.

"Seriously!" Brooke broke out into giggles.

Haley looked at her two friends in disbelief, "Guys, I'm talking about Lucas- my BEST 

friend. My oldest friend. The brother of one of my ex- boyfriends." she tried to clarify.

"Oh, please. You knew Lucas way before you went out with Nathan," Brooke dismissed the comment.

"Honestly, Haley, Brooke and I have had a bet on when you and Lucas would finally get it on." Peyton admitted, and this time it was Haley's turn to bulge her eyes.

"You do not!" she said, looking at both of their faces.

"Yeah, well, I bet that you two would've gotten together a long time ago. Peyton was the one who knew that you two were in denial." Brooke brushed off the comment.

"You two don't seem to get it. Nothing happened. One minute, we're all over each other-" Haley paused, realizing she was revealing more than she'd planned to, "And the next minute, Lucas is telling me that we need to stop."

"And now you're hurt..." Peyton said, waiting for a response.

"No! I'm relieved. He was right." Haley said, sounding unconvincing.

"You are such a bad liar." Brooke informed her.

"I mean it. Lucas is my best and oldest friend. It would have completely wrecked our-"

"Bull. You're just upset because he stopped things. You feel rejected." Peyton confronted her.

"I do not!"

"You have to realize, Haley... I mean, you more than anyone- knows how logical and analytical Lucas is. He needed to make sure that you were sure-" Peyton started to explain.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We talked and agreed we're better off as friends, and now it's over. It's just still a little strange. I mean, I guess I'm still embarrassed that I threw myself at him." Haley stated, biting her lip.

"I'm sure that you didn't do anything that Lucas didn't want you to do. You're both just freaked out-" Brooke interjected.

"All I want to do it pretend that it didn't happen." Haley said, looking out the window.

--

Once Peyton dropped her off at her apartment, Haley thanked the girls for listening to her problem and hauled her bag inside and to the elevator.

Entering the door, Haley was greeted by Lucas, already sitting on the couch. The washing machine was on; he had just started a load of laundry.

"Hey." he said simply, watching her come in.

"Hey." she answered, not knowing what else to say.

Lucas got up and reached for her bag, which she was dragging on the floor, "Why didn't you buzz me to tell me you were here? I could have carried this up for you." he said, leaning forward, merely inches from her.

They both paused, affected by the closeness. Haley's eyes locked on his, and she was momentarily unable to look away.

"I was fine getting it up here. It's just the last couple of feet that left me winded." she answered, only now feeling like she was breathless as she looked at him.

Lucas swallowed hard, his jaw clenching slightly as he willed himself not to touch her; knowing that any more proximity would push him over the edge.

"Thanks." Haley said, taking a step back and looking away, sure that he was able to tell exactly what she was thinking by looking into her eyes.

"No problem." he nodded, pulling the bag up in one quick motion and carrying it to her bedroom door.

Haley followed him and was so frazzled by their awkward discussion that she didn't realize he was stopping right away, and tripped on the bag, falling right into him.

Catching her as she collided with him, Lucas' arms braced her against his chest. Haley looked up, meaning to apologize, and couldn't find her voice.

Lucas stared at her mouth, and then fixed his gaze on her eyes.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: That's another very evil place to leave you at, isn't it? Well, next update will be quicker, I'd guess in about 2-3 days.

Until then..


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry for leaving you guys in that place for so long, here are three new chapters :)

* * *

Lately, Ch. 14

Flushed, Haley pulled away, backing towards the open door, "Sorry about that." she apologized, pushing the bag into her room with her foot. Without waiting for a response, she closed the door behind her, inches from Lucas' face.

Confused and disheartened, Lucas stood momentarily and then backed away from the door, shaking his head, "Great, freak her out so she can't even talk to you. Perfect…"

Haley kicked the bag several times and then collapsed on her bed, frustrated and embarrassed, "He is going to flip out if you keep acting like this. Get a grip." Pulling a pillow over her face, Haley groaned loudly, trying to release her mounting emotions.

Haley barely came out of her room for the rest of the evening, using the excuse of catching up on her schoolwork, when she was really trying to mentally prepare herself for the daily task of hiding her feelings until she was able to get a grip on them.

Lucas remained in the living room for most of the evening, purposely trying to stay in a common area where he might be able to confront Haley… if she ever came out of her room. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say, but he knew he wanted to make sure things were okay between the two of them.

Darkness came and the apartment remained eerily quiet. Normally, with both of them home, Haley and Lucas would be hanging out together, even if it was simply sitting side by side while they studied. Haley decided to go to sleep early, and managed to come out briefly to tell Lucas good-night, citing a headache that she wanted to go to sleep to get rid of. Lucas looked up from his work, nodded, and said good-night.

More than a week passed, with Haley and Lucas avoiding each other. Lucas wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt an awkwardness with Haley that he had never felt before, and knew that with his feelings changing, and her request to keep things the way they were, he needed to have some time to get a hold of his feelings.

Nathan came by, more than once, and observed the situation curiously. Lucas and Haley had managed to remain in the same room with each other, but avoided almost total eye contact, and lacked the normal humor and sarcasm that their relationship usually had.

Peyton and Jake came by one evening, and asked the pair to join them at a movie. Both made up excuses for why they couldn't go, and Peyton sighed with irritation at how they were behaving. As they left the apartment, Jake asked, "What's with them? Are they fighting?"

"If only it was that simple." Peyton commented, without going into much detail

A couple of days later, Haley came home from a particularly hard day. Observing the quiet apartment, she was relieved that Lucas hadn't returned yet. She set down her jacket and bag on the coffee table and headed to the bathroom, thinking that a hot shower would relax her a little.

In her bedroom, she slipped out of her clothes and put on a bathrobe and headed for the bathroom. Opening the door, she started taking off her robe and walked in right as Lucas was exiting the shower, still trying to wrap his towel around his waist.

"Oh my God, Lucas-" Haley said, stopping in her tracks, completely frozen. She was thankful that she managed to avert her eyes fro his towel to his chest, still wet with beaded water droplets.

"Haley-" he said surprised, hastily wrapping the towel around himself.

Haley clutched the robe closed with her hand, and went back and forth between closing her eyes, and opening them to try to apologize profusely, "I am so- so sorry! I didn't know-"

"It's okay. Haley, it's fine." He assured her, starting to become amused with the situation, not to mention appreciating the view of Haley in her short robe. He ran his hand through his wet, tussled hair.

"I didn't hear the water- I was in a hurry, and I didn't know you were naked- showering in here." she said, trying to correct the comment, flushing bright red.

Lucas took a step forward, trying to reassure her, and grinned at the comment that she made, catching the mistake.

Haley turned to leave, and almost ran into the bathroom door, which she had shut in the midst of the confusion, "Oh God," she cursed herself, stopping right before she smacked into it.

Lucas took her arm, and put his hand on the bathroom door, preventing her from opening it immediately, "Haley, look at me." he said, half-laughing, half pleadingly.


	15. Chapter 15

Lately, Ch. 15

"Hales, come on." Lucas waited, his hand still resting on the door.

Haley turned around and fixed her gaze on Lucas, trying to will herself not to do or say something stupid, "Lucas, let me just get out of your way so that you can get changed or at least get to your room." she offered, sounding reasonably normal. Her eyes drifted down his face, to his shoulders and chest, and then lower, down to his abs and hips, which held the towel low on his body. Snapping her attention back up to his eyes, she waited.

Lucas only now saw the small distance that separated them, and felt Haley's warm breath as she spoke. "Lucas?" Haley repeated when he didn't respond.

Returning from his thoughts to focus on what she was saying, Lucas nodded and leaned forward. Haley held her breath and then realized that he was reaching for the doorknob to open it.

The awkward moment passed as Haley exited the bathroom and managed to tie the sash around her robe. She reached up to put her hair in a ponytail, trying to find something to occupy her as she waited for Lucas to leave the bathroom. Lucas noticed her robe inch upward as it pulled with the raise of her arms, and he couldn't help but admire her upper legs and the curve of her neck as she moved.

Haley didn't notice this extra attention, and held her breath while waiting for Lucas to head to his room.

The following weekend, Karen and Keith invited both Lucas and Haley to dinner at a restaurant between the two homes. Haley tried to find an excuse not to go, but Karen insisted that she come, stating that she had important news to share with them both.

Agreeing finally, Haley and Lucas planned to leave together that Saturday night. In the truck on the way to the destination, Lucas and Haley tried their hardest to act like things were back to normal. They even managed to joke around a little and catch up with what was going on with the other person in school and at work.

Finally, they made it to the parking lot, and were met by Karen and Keith, who had just arrived themselves. After hugs and greetings, the four walked into the restaurant and were seated at a table.

Karen and Keith patiently asked the younger pair how things were going, and what was new in their lives, and Haley and Lucas did their best to sound like everything was fine.

"So, Mom, what's up? Why the fancy dinner tonight? What's the big news?" Lucas asked, resting his arms on the table.

Karen and Keith looked at each other, and smiled. Keith spoke first, "Well, Luke. You know that me and your mom… I mean- you know I love your mom very much, right?" he asked, looking over at Karen for support.

"Yeah, sure, Keith." Lucas nodded.

"Well, Lucas-" Karen held out her left hand, and showed off a sparkling small diamond on her ring finger.

"Oh my God! You're getting married!" Haley gasped, grabbing Karen's hand to look at the ring.

Karen laughed and looked at Lucas for a reaction. Keith kept his gaze on his nephew as well.

Lucas smiled broadly and said, "That's great, Mom. Congratulations." He said, looking at both of them. He and Haley got up to hug both Keith and Karen, and congratulated them excitedly.

"You're okay with this?" Keith asked Lucas, after they all sat down.

Lucas nodded, "Yeah, of course I am. I'm really happy for you." he assured them.

They both had a relieved look on their faces, and Lucas laughed, "What would you have done if I'd said, no? Cancel your plans?" he joked.

"No, but at least now I get to ask you to be my best man." Keith answered happily.

"Seriously?" Lucas wanted to know.

"Yup. What do you say?" Keith asked hopefully.

"Hell yeah. I'd be honored." Lucas replied, nodding.

"Well, we're halfway finished. Now I have to ask you a favor, Haley." Karen said, turning to the young girl she had watched grow up. Haley looked at her quizzically.  
"Will you be my maid-of-honor?" Karen asked, and Haley stared at her amazed.

"Really?" Haley asked, and Karen nodded, laughing, "Really?" Haley repeated, and Karen nodded more emphatically, "Well?"

"Oh my gosh, of course! I am so honored you asked me!" Haley got up to hug Karen again.

"Great! Now we can really celebrate!" Karen announced, and ordered some sparkling cider for the four of them.

A few hours later, Lucas and Haley headed back to the apartment, and were completely preoccupied with the news, forgetting to be uncomfortable with each other.

"I still can't believe that they're getting married!" Haley exclaimed excitedly.

"I know. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time." Lucas laughed, resting his hand on the back of the seat cushions.

"This is the best news. I am so happy for them!" Haley sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

Once back in the apartment, Lucas and Haley sat on the couch, talking about the events of the evening.

"You know, I've really missed this for the past few weeks. Just us- hanging out, talking." Lucas said, leaning towards her to knock into her casually.

"Yeah, me too. I know things have been weird between us, but I'm glad we are getting past it." Haley said honestly.

They both felt a sense of relief that things were falling back into the normal routine, sitting together on a weekend. Neither one of them knew that things were going to get more complicated.


	16. Chapter 16

Lately, Ch. 16

Lucas and Haley enjoyed two-and-a half weeks of normalcy. Their relationship seemed to be back on track, and they were able to spend time together without awkward silences or uncomfortable glances.

Peyton and Nathan secretly discussed their mutual friends, and agreed that this was the calm before the fireworks really started.

On Thursday evening, one phone call blew all normalcy out the window. Haley answered the ringing phone while still reading from her textbook. She gave a preoccupied 'hello', and a female voice responded, "Hi, can I speak with Lucas, please?"

"Uh, sure- hang on a sec," Haley covered the mouthpiece as she turned to call over her shoulder, "Lu-cas! Phone call for you!"

Lucas came out of his room and took the phone with a "Thanks." He sat down near Haley, who returned her focus to her reading.

"Hello? Yeah- Holly… good to hear from you again, too." Lucas started, and Haley's ears perked up, recognizing the name as the girl that Lucas spent time with during the ski trip earlier in the month. "Yeah, when we talked earlier this week you mentioned something about that. Really? Well congratulations. Uh-huh…uh-huh…uh-huh. Definitely- you should come by. For the weekend? Of course, yeah- we have the room. No, it's no trouble at all. Okay then- we're looking forward to seeing you, too. Uh-huh, bye." Lucas hung up the phone, and looked more than a little worried, "Oh God."

"What's up?" Haley asked, unable to curb her curiosity.

Lucas looked at her and took a deep breath, "Well, you remember Holly, right? From the ski weekend?" he started. Haley nodded, "Sure."

"Well, we exchanged numbers, and she called me the day after we left. We talked for a while, and then she started hinting that she wanted to get together again. I made up some excuse about why I couldn't see her, and thought that was the end of it." Lucas explained.

"Okay…" Haley said, allowing him to continue.

"So, she calls again, like, two or three days later, and asks if I want to spend some time with her that weekend. I wasn't interested, and I tried to explain this nicely, and she wouldn't hear it or something."

"Did you say the words, 'I'm not interested'?" Haley asked bluntly, setting down her pencil.

"Not exactly- I didn't want to hurt her feelings!" Lucas added when he saw Haley roll her eyes.

"Lucas-" she warned.

"So anyway, I ended up saying that I had just started seeing someone." he went on.

"Okay, so mission accomplished, right?" Haley asked, shrugging.

"Sort of. That conversation was a couple of weeks ago, and she called me on Monday to talk and see how things were between me and this girl. She also mentioned that she was thinking about looking into this cosmetology school nearby if she got accepted. When she called just now, she told me she had gotten in, and was coming to look at it this weekend, and asked if she could stay with us for the weekend."

"Oookay, so we have a guest for the weekend. No big deal." Haley said, not exactly thrilled with the idea, but she was able to accept it.

"There's just one catch…" Lucas paused, his eyes crinkling and Haley could see he was worried.

"What is it, Luke? It can't be that bad." Haley assured him.

"Okay, now don't get mad, okay?" he asked her, holding his hands out as if to protect himself from her.

"Mad at what?" Haley asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"I- sort of… told her that I was dating… you." he said haltingly, bracing himself for her reaction.

"You what?!" Haley said, shocked.

"I know, I know! She wasn't very put off by the idea of me seeing some random girl- she even said that since it had just started, it wouldn't be any big deal if we hooked up, so I told her it was you- since I knew that I had told her about us knowing each other forever." Lucas explained as he watched Haley's expression.

"Lu-cas!" she groaned.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do- and I figured that it wouldn't matter since I would never have to see her again."

Haley put her face in her arms and rested them on the arm of the couch, "This is so ridiculous! You have to tell her the truth."  
"I can't! Look- it's just for the weekend, and then we'll never have to talk to her again. Please, Hales?" he asked her, and Haley peeked at him from her arms.

"I don't know, Luke. This is just so-"

"I swear, I'll never ask you for anything again." he pleaded with her, folding his hands together.

"Augh! Can't I just spend the weekend at Peyton's or something?" she offered a 

suggestion.

"No! You can't leave me here alone with her!"

"Oh come on, Lucas! Stop being a baby! She's not going to bite- unless you want her to." she kidded, and Lucas glared at her as she laughed.

"Will you do it? Please?" he asked again, and Haley rolled her eyes, exasperated, "Fine." she answered, shaking her head, "I guess I can manage the charade for a day or so." She sighed.

"Actually, she's coming tomorrow evening and isn't leaving until Sunday." he added, and Haley groaned again.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: sets reminder on phone to update more regularly It's just been hard fitting this in once I get back from work completely wiped out. Hang in there with me guys! Hope you liked these three chapters.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Trowing up a chapter I have not had time to check the spelling on, litterally as I head out the door for the weekend. Hope this is enough for now..

* * *

Lately, Ch. 17

As evening approached on Friday, Haley started having second thoughts about agreeing to the charade that would extend for the entire weekend. Nervously, she paced back and forth as Lucas watched her with a mixture of amusement and guilt.

"You're going to wear a hole in that spot if you keep walking back and forth like that." he commented finally, and Haley stopped in her tracks.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this Luke. This is so not something you would normally do. This isn't something I would normally let you drag me into!" she hissed as she collapsed on the sofa next to him.

"I know. I swear, I owe you big time. Huge." he promised, and she rolled her eyes.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Yelping out of panic, Haley jumped up, and then sat back down. Lucas didn't move at first, until Haley motioned for him to get the door. He walked over calmly, took a deep breath, and opened the door quickly.

"Holly!" he said as she stood in the doorway, smiling.

"Hey there, stranger. Thanks for letting me crash with you this weekend." Holly said, walking in after Lucas motioned for her to enter. He took her bag from her hands, and set it against the wall.

"No problem. Glad we could help." he answered, turning back to look at Haley, who stood frozen by the couch, "Right Haley?" he asked, "Hales?" he repeated when she didn't answer right away.

"Oh! Right, of course. Definitely." Haley finally found her ability to speak.

Holly hugged Lucas briefly and then walked over to Haley, holding out her hand, "I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Holly."

"Hi, I'm Haley. Nice to meet you." she said, taking Holly's hand to shake it.

"I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I'm trying to save up for this school, and money's been a little tight lately. Not having to pay for a hotel is really great." Holly gushed, sweeping her brown hair from her eyes.

"Well, we know how that is. Trying to save money any way you can." Lucas nodded.

"So, can I have the tour?" Holly asked hopefully, looking around the apartment.

"Sure, it's not much, but- this is the living room," Haley started, holding out her hands for effect, "And the kitchen is over there." she pointed to her left. They all walked through the kitchen, and Haley led to the hallway where the two bedrooms were. "This is the bathroom," she commented, walking past it, "and this is Lucas' room, and this one's my room." she said, pausing between the two bedrooms for Holly to take a peek inside each one.  


"This place is adorable. Pretty spacious, too." Holly stated as she turned around, glancing at both Lucas and Haley.

"Yeah, we like it." Lucas agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets. They headed back to the living room, where they all sat down; Lucas in the easy-chair, and Haley and Holly on the couch.

"Would you like something to drink, Holly? While you're here, help yourself to anything we have to eat or drink. There's nothing special around, really, but whatever we have is yours for the taking." Haley mentioned welcomingly.

"Thanks; actually I'm fine for now. But I would like to use the facilities if it's okay." Holly said, standing up again.

"Sure, down that hall to your right." Lucas reminded her, and Holly nodded, "I could take my things now, too, if you want. Which bedroom should I put my bag in?" she asked, walking over to her duffle bag. Lucas and Haley looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Holly turned back to look at them, "Or, I mean, I could take the sofa, of course. I just thought that since you two were, you know… I would just take one of-" she started to back-track.

"No, of course you'll take a bedroom. You can sleep in my room, Holly. It's probably a little cleaner anyway." Haley joked, glancing over at Lucas.

"Great. Thanks, Haley." Holly said as she picked up her bag and headed to the hall. Lucas and Haley stared at each other, wide-eyed, as they listened to her put the bag down in Haley's room, and then head to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"She's taking a bedroom! Why didn't I realize that before? What the hell are we going to do now?" Haley asked in a hushed but frantic whisper.

"I'm sorry- I didn't think of that." he apologized, leaning into his chair, already fatigued.

"It's fine, I'll just sleep on the sofa-" Haley started to say, but Lucas cut her off, "No- you can't! We're supposed to be a couple. If you sleep on the couch, she'll know that we're making it up!" Lucas reminded her.

Haley cursed quietly, and then asked, "Well then, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We're both going to sleep in my room." Lucas ordered quietly.

"There's only one bed in your room, Lucas!" she reminded him.

Just then, Holly opened the door and Lucas and Haley stopped their whispering, remaining completely silent.

"Have ya'll eaten yet?" she asked them as she entered the living room again.

"Uh, no."  


"Nope."

"Good, I was hoping to treat ya'll to dinner since you're letting me stay here and all." Holly offered, picking up her jacket.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, really." Haley assured her, shaking her head.

"It's the least I can do. That way, we can get to know each other a bit." Holly said cheerfully.

Pausing, Lucas and Haley looked at each other, and Lucas shrugged, "Okay, if you're sure." he answered.

"Absolutely- now where's a good place to go?" Holly asked.

The three headed out the door and were off to dinner.


	18. Chapter 18

Lately, Ch. 18

After dinner, Haley, Lucas, and Holly returned to the apartment. The meal wasn't as awkward as Haley had feared, but she was still exhausted from the lying that she and Lucas had done. Holly had asked them when they had decided to become a couple; how it happened, and Lucas managed to spin a lengthy tale about it, much to Haley's amusement and slight uneasiness.

He described how they were watching a movie one night and things got a little heated while they sat together, first cuddling, and then how they professed their true feelings for each other. Haley listened to this story almost as intently as Holly, finding herself sinking into Lucas' gorgeous blue eyes as he described the moment in PG-rated detail. Smiling despite herself, her heart skipped a beat as he stared at her every once in a while. Each of them thought that the other was playing the part, when actually, they were just displaying their true feelings.

As they settled in the living room, Holly turned to Haley and asked her, "So, what was it about Lucas that made you fall for him? I mean, how did you know that he was 'the one'?"

Haley's face reddened as she shrugged slightly, "I don't know if it was any one thing…" she started, hedging the question a little, "I mean, he's sweet, and funny. He's one of the most caring people I know, very generous, and has an amazingly good heart-" she said honestly, trying to think of things that she would say to describe him as a friend.

Lucas watched her intently, listening to every word she said, and Haley could feel his eyes on her.

"That is so adorable, how can you not kiss her after she said all of that?" Holly said to Lucas, who was seated next to Haley on the sofa. She waited expectantly, and Haley looked at her and Lucas, eyes widening, unsure of how to reply.

Lucas looked over at Haley, and not knowing what else to do, leaned forward, saying, "You're absolutely right."

Before she could say anything, Lucas' lips were on her in a sweet and tender kiss. She responded almost immediately, and felt her insides weaken as his mouth brushed against hers once more before pulling away.

Lucas was suddenly very aware of the electricity between Haley and himself, and separated from her as he felt that he was losing control.

"Well, it's getting late, and I know that the two of you had an early start this morning. I'm going to head out pretty early tomorrow, but I should be back before dinner. Are you two interested in going out in the evening, maybe to a club or something?" Holly asked, getting up and stretching.

"Uh, sure, we'll see what we can plan. Have you got directions to the school for tomorrow?" Haley asked.

"Yup, I'm all set. Good night and thanks again." Holly said before turning and heading to Haley's room.

"Good night." Lucas and Haley responded, watching her retreat.

"Thank God that's over for the night." Haley breathed, slumping against the couch cushion by Lucas.

"I know. I am so tired."

"That's what lying does to you." Haley joked, only half-kiddingly.

"Save the lecture for after the weekend. We still have to get through tomorrow." Lucas reminded her, and Haley groaned.

Standing up, Lucas said, "I'm heading to bed. You coming?"

"You know, it's not a big deal if I sleep out here. I can get up early and head to your room so that-" Haley offered, and Lucas stopped her, "That won't work. What if she gets up in the middle of the night and sees you out here?" he asked.

Relenting, Haley agreed, "Okay. Yeah, I guess I am tired, too." She got up and nervously followed him into his bedroom.

Closing the door, Lucas turned and watched Haley for a moment, her back to him as she looked around the room. He willed himself to keep his feelings under control as she turned to face him suddenly, "Crap- I forgot to bring in my pajamas!" she announced quietly. She headed to the door but Lucas stopped her, "Relax- you can borrow something of mine. A shirt or something."

Haley looked at him, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "I'll give you a long one, I promise. Like this one. Here." he said, opening a drawer and handing her a green short-sleeved shirt. Haley held it up and inspected it, and then held it to herself to check the length. It almost reached her knees. Satisfied, she took the shirt and headed to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth.

When she returned, she was wearing the shirt, and carried the clothes she had been wearing in a folded pile. Her hair had been brushed into a haphazard ponytail, with strands lying loose around her neck. Lucas looked at her and immediately noticed how the green form the shirt complimented her eyes, as well as her flawless complexion.

"The bathroom's all yours." Haley said, entering the room and placing her things on a chair by the door.

Lucas was gone for a few minutes, and returned without his shirt on. Haley stood speechless as he closed the door and put his hand on the front button of his jeans, opening it, and beginning to lower them to the ground.

"What- what are you doing?" Haley asked quickly, turning her head.

"I'm getting undressed for bed. I always wear boxers to bed." he answered, looking at her quizzically.

"Oh, I mean- I guess I just figured that-"

"They're just like shorts, Hales. Come on, get in." he told her, sitting on the bed, and turning down the sheets on her side.

Slowly, Haley approached the bed and sat down on the very edge of it. Lucas watched her as she did this and laughed, causing her to look over at him and glare, "What?"

"I'm not going to bite, Haley. I mean, unless you want me to." he kidded, using the comment she said to him during their initial conversation about Holly's visit, only realizing afterwards how it sounded.

"Funny." Haley said, trying to sound sarcastic, but felt the color creep into her cheeks.


	19. Chapter 19

Lately, Ch. 19

Once lying down, both Lucas and Haley realized that there was no way that they were falling asleep yet. Laying awkwardly on the edge of the bed, Haley looked over at Lucas and asked, "Are you asleep yet?"

"Nope." came his reply.

"What do you say we read or something for a little while until we get tired?" she asked hopefully.

"Sounds good to me." Lucas said, flipping on the light by his side of the bed. He picked up his book and Haley looked over at him, expectantly.

"What?" he asked her as he turned to the page he left off on.

"I didn't bring my book with me. What else have you got?" she asked him, looking over at the pile of books on his bedside table.

He repeated a few of the titles, to which Haley replied, "Read it, read it, don't wanna read it," and "Oh you can't be serious."

Lucas looked at her amused and said, "Well, that's all I got right now. Sorry."

"Well, what are you reading?" she asked, leaning over to look at the book he had in his hands.

"Nothing you'd be interested in." he said, holding the book out of her reach. She caught a glimpse of the title, and exclaimed, "Oh- I've been meaning to read that!"

"Well, wait your turn." he replied, settling back against his pillows.

"Oh, come on, Lucas! It's the least you can do for making me go through all of this!" she whined, and Lucas shook his head, refusing.

"God, you're mean! At least read it to me, then." she demanded, folding her arms over her chest, pouting.

"Baby." he muttered, relenting.

Haley settled happily against the pillows near him, and listened as he read the story to her. His voice was calm and soothing, and in no time, she was asleep. Looking down to find his 'partner-in-crime' out cold, Lucas grinned and placed the book carefully on his end-table. As he did, Haley turned toward his slightly, and curled into his body. Freezing momentarily, Lucas tried to decide what he should do. Finally, he decided to leave her the way she was, and tried his best to get some sleep, knowing that she now made it all the more difficult.

--

Sometime in the middle of the night, Haley awoke to Lucas shifting in his sleep. She found herself lying against him, and even though her first instinct was to move, she found that she couldn't bring herself to do that. Placing her hand back on his chest, Haley smiled to herself, and then paused as Lucas moved again, this time to his side, so he was facing her. Her face only inches from his, she felt his breath against her neck and cheek and shivered, closing her eyes to will her heart to slow down.

Moving a little to fluff up the pillow, Haley shifted closer to Lucas and suddenly saw his 

eyes open slightly and felt his hand come up to her head, pulling her towards him into a kiss. Unable to speak, Haley didn't resist, and swallowed a moan, unsure whether it was his or her own. His lips moved and her lips separated, and his tongue slid between them.

Lucas had been dreaming, and suddenly he felt as though the dream was real- more real than it had been only moments earlier. He became aware of Haley's body next to his own, and he kissed her more intensely, his hands skimming down her body. "Haley" he whispered.

Haley felt his hands and kissed him in response, her legs separating slightly to allow him to move closer to her. As sleep escaped and Lucas became more aware of what was really happening, he pulled away suddenly, "Oh God, Haley- I'm sorry. I must have been dreaming-" he said, and Haley scooted away.

"It's okay, I think we were both still asleep," Haley lied, trying to catch her breath.

"I didn't scare you, did I?" he asked, concern etching his voice. Haley shook her head, "No, I'm fine."

"I swear I didn't mean to hurt you or scare you-" he apologized, a hand reaching to her shoulder.

"You didn't. I know you would never do something like that, Lucas. It's okay." Haley answered. She was more than a little disappointed, but then she remembered him saying her name in his sleep.

"Who were you dreaming about?" she asked, swallowing hard and waiting for an answer.

"I- I don't remember." he lied, unable to look at her.

--

It took more than a while for each of them to fall back asleep, and Lucas looked over at Haley more than once, her back to him as she tried to figure out what was happening and what it would mean in the end.


	20. Chapter 20

Lately, Ch. 20

The next morning, Haley woke up early and glanced over at Lucas, who was still sleeping soundly. He was lying on his stomach, and one of his arms was wrapped protectively around her waist. Biting her lip to keep a smile from forming, Haley slipped out of the bed and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Then, she settled on the couch and turned on the T.V.

As she thought back to the events of the night before, she closed her eyes and groaned slightly, obviously disappointed and a little frustrated.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" asked a voice. Haley opened her eyes to find Holly coming from the hallway, carrying her jacket and purse.

"No, I was just thinking about something." Haley said, "I'm making some coffee. Would you like some?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"I don't want to be any trouble-" Holly started, setting her things down.

"It's no trouble at all, really. It's actually almost done. So, are you heading out soon?" Haley asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, I have a meeting at nine. I was planning on heading there in another minute or so." Holly responded.

The coffee maker began to gurgle, and Haley knew that the batch was ready. She got up and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and then took out the sugar, milk, and two spoons. Before she could turn around, she felt two arms around her waist.

"Good morning," said Lucas, pulling her towards him, and nuzzling her neck.

Startled, Haley almost dropped the spoons, and managed a weak, "Good morning," in reply. It was only a few seconds late that she realized that he was continuing the charade in front of Holly.

"Hey Lucas. I'm going to head out now to make sure I find the place okay." Holly said, picking up her things and heading towards the front door.

"What about your coffee?" Haley asked. Lucas was still clinging to her.

"I'm going to give the two of you some alone time. I was thinking that we could all go out tonight when I get back- to a club or something if you know of any good places to hang out?" Holly asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure. We can figure something out." Lucas answered, sitting down in a kitchen chair and pulling Haley into his lap. She toppled slightly, unprepared for the move.

"Okay, well, I should be back before six, I think." Holly announced, opening the door.

"Sure, give us a call if you need anything." Lucas said. Haley remained quiet, too stunned to speak. She smiled lamely, trying to act casual.

Once Holly was gone, Haley and Lucas looked at each other. Haley made no immediate move to get up from his lap, and Lucas made no attempt to let her up. A moment passed where they didn't say anything, and then Haley cleared her throat, standing up quickly.

"Nice moves there, Scott." she commented, turning to get the coffee. She closed her eyes for a moment to catch her breath.

Lucas stared and nodded, "Yeah, well- we've got to make it all look real." he said, finally finding his voice.

"So are you up for some coffee?" she asked, pouring herself a cup.

"Yeah, thanks."

--

During the day, each took a turn to leave the apartment to run errands. They decided that one person should be at the apartment at all times in case Holly came back early or called. Haley and Lucas made plans to go to a local club that allowed people under twenty-one to enter, figuring it was the only option on such short notice. They both got into contact with Nathan and Peyton to see if they were able to go out that night as well, figuring that more bodies involved meant less time that Holly had to scrutinize the fact that Haley and Lucas weren't really a couple.

Peyton said that she and Jake would be able to join them, and Nathan said that he would try to make it. Peyton called Brooke, who said that she had plans with Mike that night, but she would see if he would agree to go out with them that night.

Later in the afternoon, Lucas and Haley sat on the sofa together, watching T.V. Haley rearranged to lay in another position, and put a pillow on Lucas' lap. She settled on the pillow, and continued to watch the movie. Lucas began absentmindedly rubbing Haley's head, scratching it gently; something Haley loved and always begged him to do.

Haley sighed as Lucas moved to her back, gently massaging it as he continued to watch the movie. Haley began to relax and almost fall asleep. She gripped the pillow in her fist and stretched out more. Lucas watched her, amused, and leaned down to get a view of her face. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, and she was almost asleep. Sensing something coming near her face, she looked up, startled, and found Lucas' face right above hers.

"Comfy?" he asked gruffly, and Haley nodded quietly. She could almost swear that he was about to kiss her when-

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Holly's head popped in, "Hey- I'm back- oh, I'm sorry! I interrupted something, didn't I?" she asked when she saw the intimate position that they were in.

"No! Come on in- how was your day?" Haley asked, jumping up.

Lucas backed up just in time to save himself from knocking heads with Haley. He gritted his teeth, annoyed with the timing of his unwanted houseguest.

--

During dinner, Holly told Lucas and Haley about her day, and the schedule that she had while they ate. Haley and Lucas both tried to act more "couple-y" while they sat together, giving each other quick kisses to "act the part" of the romantic couple.

Although they didn't admit it, even to themselves, Lucas and Haley were beginning to get used to the act, sometimes touching each other tenderly without really planning to.

When Holly went to Haley's room to wash up and get ready for the evening, Haley and Lucas discussed the "game-plan" for that night.

"Well, we should definitely try to keep this kind of stuff up at the club," Lucas said, meaning the quick kisses and little moments that they were showing Holly.

"Yeah, that's fine. I already explained to Peyton what was up, and told her to let everyone else know, so that shouldn't' be a problem…" Haley said quietly.

"I'm pretty sure she's buying it, so we're pretty set for the rest of the night." Lucas added.

"Now we just have to get through a few more hours and then one more night…" Haley said.


	21. Chapter 21

Lately, Ch. 21

When they arrived at the bar, they entered and tried to find a place to hang out while they waited for the others. Lucas took Haley's hand as they walked through the entrance, and when she looked at him in surprise, he shrugged and grinned.

The three headed to a pool table, and Holly asked if either of them wanted to play with her. Haley decided to sit out on the first game, and watched as Lucas played. She asked if either of them wanted anything to drink, and Lucas asked for a water. Holly declined and Haley went over to the bar and asked for two waters. As she carried them back to the table, she noticed Peyton and Jake coming from the other side of the bar, and got their attention. She handed the cup of water to Lucas, who kissed her in thanks, and Haley found that these displays of affection were not quite as new to her anymore.

Peyton saw this act, and nearly stopped in her tracks before remembering what Haley had told her, and stopping Jake briefly to fill him in. Jake watched the scene, amused, and shook his head. Finally, the couple arrived, and exchanged hellos with Holly.

--

The night continued, and Haley, Peyton, and Holly went onto the dance floor for a while. Lucas and Jake stood by the sidelines and watched. Jake observed as Lucas kept his eyes trained on Haley, who was laughing and joking with Peyton as they all danced.

"So, you and Haley, huh?" Jake asked Lucas above the music.

Lucas looked over at him and tried to act casual, "Yeah, she's helping me out. We're getting good at this pretending." he answered.

"Are you sure it's all an act?" Jake questioned, and Lucas looked at him again, nodding, "Yeah, what else would it be?"

"I don't know, man. But it all looks pretty real to me." Jake told him.

Later, Nathan showed up, and the six managed to get a table by the band. They all sat and talked above the music, and soon Haley headed to the restroom, and Holly went with her. They had to wait in a line, and when Haley was done before Holly, she waited outside of the restroom for the girl.

Just then, Lucas came by and approached Haley on his way to the restroom.

"So far so good, huh?" he asked, talking about the evening and their act for Holly's benefit.

"Yeah, as far as Holly knows, we are a couple. She has no idea that-" Haley was cut off by Lucas kissing her.

Surprised by the suddenness of it, Haley needed only a few seconds to respond. Lucas had kissed her to stop her from talking in front of Holly, who had returned from the restroom. His hands held Haley's face as her lips made him almost forget why he had initiated the kiss to begin with. Holly walked by them, and Lucas broke away from Haley a little. She saw the cause for the kiss from the corner of her eye, and swallowed.

"Don't stop on my account." Holly commented, and then walked back towards the table.

Lucas looked back at Haley, who he still had between his hands, and leaned in for another kiss.

This one lasted for a good deal longer, and while they both tried to reason that it was to keep Holly believing in the lie, she was no longer around. Lucas pushed Haley gently against the wall nearby and continued to roam her mouth and lips. Haley gripped his shirt and ran her hand across his neck and cheek.

Finally breaking away to catch her breath, Haley looked up at Lucas hazily. He watched her and waited for her to speak, and when she didn't he leaned in for another kiss, unable to stop himself, and getting no resistance from her.

"Mmm," Haley managed to say, feeling Lucas move from her mouth to her jaw line and her neck as his tongue flickered over her skin. She continued to cling to him and leaned closer against his body.

They kissed and kissed and were slowly driving each other crazy, and yet neither one of them was thinking about the fact that it was at the moment unnecessary.

Lucas lazily slipped his hands into Haley's hair, and felt her lips search for his as she kissed the corners of his mouth and finally landed on her target.

Just then, a loud song startled them from their moment, and Lucas stood in front of Haley, who was still pinned against the wall.

"Haley, is this okay?" he asked her, his mouth still a few inches from hers.

"I- I don't know. What are you thinking?" she asked, trying to get him to speak first.

"That I want to do this…" Lucas answered, kissing her hard again, and placing his hands on her hips, pulling her to him. Neither one of them seemed to be able to get close enough to the other.

"Damn, get a room, you two!" a voice came from behind them, startling them both. They turned their heads to see Nathan passing by, heading to the restroom. He was grinning and then gave a whistle and yelp.

Grinning widely, Lucas watched his brother pass and Haley gave an embarrassed smile as well, biting her lip.

"Can I tell you something?" Lucas asked, turning back to Haley. She could only nod. "I have been wanting to do that all day- hell, all month." he admitted, his hand caressing the skin by her hip.

Haley laughed a little nervously, "Really?" she asked.

Lucas nodded, "Really. I haven't been able to think about anything else."

"Lucas, this is…" she paused, unable to find the right words.

"Amazing? Awesome? Scary?" he asked, and she nodded at all three answers.

"I know, Sweetheart. But it feels right." he assured her, and she kissed him in response.


	22. Chapter 22

Lately, Ch. 22

When Nathan exited the restroom, Haley and Lucas finally managed to separate enough to walk back to the table with him, although the held hands the entire way. Haley could feel her friends staring, obviously much more affected that Holly was, since she was led to believe that their romance had been real from the start.

"I managed to get these two to keep their hands off of each other long enough to come back." Nathan announced as they three sat back down in their chairs.

"Gee, thanks for that statement, Nathan," Haley said sarcastically, obviously embarrassed.

Peyton laughed and elbowed her lightly, "You two are such a cute couple." she said aloud. The ironic comment sailed over Holly's head but the rest of the group laughed.

"Do not start." Haley warned her as Lucas put his arm around her. She couldn't help but smile herself, though.

"I have to say, the two of you make such a great couple. Anyone can tell how crazy you are about each other." Holly told them. Lucas grinned and looked at Haley, "You hear that, Muffin?" he kidded, and Haley rolled her eyes and her blush deepened. She knew that the rest of the night would be veiled comments teasing her and Lucas about their growing closeness.

"Don't even think about calling me 'Muffin'!" she cautioned him, and he pulled her into a kiss in front of everyone. Neither of them could erase the grins from their faces.

"Oh, God- they're already starting with the nauseating pet-names. Someone put a stop to the madness." Nathan cracked, tossing some pretzels in their direction.

--

Peyton managed to pull Haley away from the rest of the group a little later, and squealed with happiness over what had happened earlier, "I knew it! I knew you two would end up together! Didn't I tell you? This is so great!" she exclaimed, hugging Haley, clearly ecstatic for her.

Haley giggled and hugged her friend back, "Don't freak out like that- you're making me nervous. Besides, I don't know what's going on with us. I mean, it's all so confusing right now with the pretending and the fake relationship…" she trailed off, still smiling.

"Oh please, neither of you were faking what was going on just now. You both totally want this, and the sooner you stop denying it, the sooner you'll be so completely happy!" Peyton insisted, folding her arms across her chest.

"I just don't want to expect anything-"

"You should expect something. You and Lucas are so right for each other that it's scary!" Peyton told her, leaning against the bar. Haley nervously looked over at Lucas and he turned just then, catching her. Quickly she averted her eyes and groaned, blushing, "Things are just so confusing right now and we haven't had a chance to really talk about it yet, so I'm not making any assumptions."

Lucas tried to pay attention to the conversations going on at the table, but he kept glancing over at Haley, talking to Peyton several yards away. He wished the night was over, and he was alone with Haley, so they could talk about what had happened, and what they wanted from each other.

He knew what he wanted. He'd had a taste of it earlier, literally, and he wasn't prepared to give it up without a fight. Flashes kept entering his mind; his body against hers, her mouth tangling with his, the sounds she made when he kissed her. His entire body felt electrified, and he could hardly sit still, until finally, he wasn't. He was standing up, walking over to the two girls by the bar, and interrupting their conversation.

"Hey, I'm sorry to butt in, but can I see you for a second?" Lucas asked Haley, who turned to face him when he spoke into her hair, wanting to make sure she heard him over the volume of the music.

"She's all yours." Peyton answered.

Nodding shortly, Haley watched as Peyton walked back to the table, and waited expectantly for Lucas to speak. Looking around, not sure what he planned to do, Lucas finally grabbed Haley's hands and led her to the other side of the nearby wall. Hardly anyone was in this side room, and Lucas pulled Haley to him and kissed her, his open mouth caressing hers.

Inhaling sharply, Haley reacted by matching his kiss, her mind suddenly going blank, and her body reacting swiftly to his touch.

"What was that for?" she asked him when they parted just enough to look at each other.

"I can't seem to control myself around you tonight. I have this irresistible urge that I can't seem to ignore." he replied in between short kisses.

"This is so crazy, Luke. It's like we're not acting like ourselves, or something-" Haley tried to describe what she was thinking, her fingers playing with the strands of hair by his neck. They continued to kiss.

"Crazy or not, it feels right." Lucas commented, and he groaned as her teeth grazed his bottom lip, "Baby, I want you so bad."

Haley couldn't help but smile and Lucas caught her, and pulled away, "Oh you think that's funny? Me professing my innermost thoughts to you right now?" he grinned as well, and Haley hid her face on his shoulder.

"Let's get back to the table. They're going to send Nathan back here soon to embarrass us again." Haley said.

"Just wait… one more… stay here." Lucas held onto her as she tried to untangle herself from his arms and lips.

Succumbing momentarily, Haley finally managed to pull herself away, and Lucas groaned in frustration and amusement. She took his hand and led him out, and as they returned to the table, she dropped his hand to make it seem like their absence had been casual.

"So you've decided to join us again?" Nathan asked, eyebrow raised, smirking.

"Don't make me kick your butt, Scott." Haley answered, raising her own eyebrow.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Now, here's the first time the clause of 'I am leaving this story EXACTLY as it was written ... in order to not mess with the original work.' comes into play. For some reason this whole chapter is written in the present tense, while the rest of it is in the past, and I'm not changing that. Just so it doesn't confuse you.

* * *

Lately, Ch. 23

Lucas and Haley manage to stay with the others for the rest of the night, and as they all depart to their cars, Peyton gives Haley's arm a squeeze and whispers, "Good luck."

Suddenly, Haley is nervous as she, Lucas and Holly get into his truck to go back to the apartment. They have a conversation on the way home, with Holly doing most of the talking. Lucas and Haley are more than preoccupied with thoughts of each other.

Once back at the apartment, Holly admits that she is exhausted and she says good-night almost immediately. She tells Lucas and Haley that she will be leaving to go back home sometime in the later morning.

Left alone in the living room, Haley and Lucas sit awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do. Getting up, Haley goes over to the kitchen to put the dishes from the dishwasher back into the cupboards. She needs to keep her nervous hands busy.

Lucas watches this and goes over to help her, pulling open a drawer and beginning to unload the machine. As they move, they seem to be successfully avoiding each other, until they both move for the same cupboard and end up face to face against the counter.

"Sorry," they each whisper, Haley more timidly than Lucas, who is already so caught up in her eyes that he forgets the bowl in his hands and nearly drops it trying to put it on the counter. With his hands free, he dips in to kiss her, unable to think of anything else. Relieved, Haley responds, and her mouth already knows how to move against his.

Taking the plate from her hands, Lucas sets it on the counter with the bowl, and takes her hands in his, silently leading her to his bedroom. Their kisses continue as they stumble down the hallway. Lucas walks backwards as he enters his room, and Haley breaks apart, briefly, to turn and close the door. Her back to him, she pushes the door gently until there is a click, and then pauses, her hands remaining on the door. Slowly turning, she looks up at Lucas and moves towards him.

Lucas' arms envelop her as she leans up to take his mouth with her own. His lips are familiar to her already, and she feels his tongue flicker to taste her.

Lucas wills himself to go slowly, aware that this is new for them both, and despite the fact that he wants to grab her and move her to the bed immediately, he doesn't.

Instead, he moves achingly slowly, his hands traveling up her back and to her hair, his fingers separating to find their way through it. Her hair is silky soft, and its familiar scent reaches him as he inhales. This is just one of the things that is already familiar to him. There are so many things about Haley that he has known all his life, and yet these things are affecting him so differently tonight, and he thanks God for this.

Her eyes, sweet and beautiful, pulling him deeper into these feelings. The way her skin feels as he touches her, smooth and soft. Her mouth on his is still new, but he likes this best of all.

Haley feels herself slowly drifting farther and farther into want. She can sense that Lucas is going this slowly for her sake, and her heart pulses a little more quickly with this realization. His hands seem to know just want to do to drive her further into this madness, and her lips are becoming swollen from his kisses.

Pushing slowly, Haley moves them closer to the bed, and pulls away enough to take her hands to her shirt and pull it over her head. As she does this, she looks at him boldly, letting him know that she has made her choice. Lucas watches in awe as her skin 

becomes exposed, and his eyes travel over her shoulders and down, all the way to her stomach. Replacing his eyes, his hands now do the same, trailing from her shoulders to the sides of her body, his thumbs tracing the sides of her breasts, and Haley smiles softly as her lips return to his.

Lucas closes his eyes, and Haley's hands find his neck, and throat, and face, her lips moving over these areas as well.

Swiftly, Lucas backs up and takes off his own shirt, and carefully maneuvers Haley to the bed, where they both lie down next to each other. Lucas, on his side, facing Haley, while she, lying flat, looks over at him. Lucas begins a trail from her lips, to her chin, and then slowly works his way to the base of her throat. His tongue flickers across her collarbone, and Haley take the blanket beneath her into her fists, her desire increasing.

Her hands slide down his arm and chest, and find their way to the button of his jeans. She pauses; this is when things ended so abruptly the last time, during the ski weekend, and waits for his response. Lucas feels her hesitation, and sees something in her eyes, worry?… no, it is more like she is preparing herself for his rejection, and his thoughts also go back to the drunken weekend.

Kissing her sweetly, Lucas lets her know that he will not stop this time, and Haley continues to unbutton his pants. Lucas then grabs her hands, startling her, and takes them above her head, pinning her gently to the mattress. He holds them there, carefully, and kisses her passionately. Then he breaks away, stands up, and slides the jeans down to the floor. Smiling, and feeling embarrassed for smiling, Haley watches this scene and as she starts to sit up, Lucas captures her lips again.

Haley's hands now move to her own pants, and she is again stopped by Lucas, who replaces her fingers on the zipper with his own, and she raises her hips so that he can slide the material down and off of her. A rush of cold air hits her heated body, and she shivers, but Lucas' body soon comes to lie above her, and this helps. It more than helps. He pulls a blanket over them lightly.

Haley can't get close enough, and she grips his shoulders to pull him closer, parting her legs so his own can slide between them.

Lucas then feels her hands push him back slightly, and he watches as she takes the clasp on the front of her bra, and opens it, slipping her arms out of the straps. He then places his bare chest on hers and continues to explore her mouth, causing small gasps and moans to leave her lips.

--

Afterwards, Lucas and Haley are lying in bed, Lucas' arms around her protectively, and he is kissing the top of her head. Her eyes are closed, but she is not asleep. Inhaling her scent of soap and shampoo, Lucas rests his chin on the top of her head and exhales contentedly.

"No regrets?" he asks her carefully.

Haley shakes her head, "No regrets."

* * *

A/N: I'm hoping this mass-update can be my penance for not updating for so long, I have no excuse. But now I'll be returning to the 'once a week update'


	24. Chapter 24

Last week's update..another one coming shortly

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Lately, Ch. 24

Lucas and Haley made love again before going to sleep, content to hold each other for the entire night.

Lucas woke up first the next morning, as the sunlight started to stream into his window. As he squinted and looked around, he saw Haley lying on her stomach next to him, her shoulders bare, and her hair scattered across her neck and back, haphazardly.

Brushing her hair to one side, Lucas brought his lips to her shoulder and gently kissed the exposed skin. His fingers stroked her back, and he watched as she started to wake up, her closed eyes crinkling and her lips forming a half-conscious smile.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice giving away his happy mood. Haley's eyes drifted open and fixed on his, "Hi," she said hoarsely.

"Sorry I woke you, I guess I couldn't help myself." Lucas apologized honestly, as Haley propped her elbow up on one of the pillows and rested her head in her hand.

"It's okay." Haley assured him, pulling the covers up a little higher to warm her. Lucas scooted closer to her, his hand skimming her arm.

"Last night- was… incredible." Lucas started, and Haley chimed in with him to finish the sentence with the same word. They both grinned widely, and Lucas leaned forward to kiss her. Haley pulled away quickly and hid her face in the pillow.

"What- what is it? What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I can't kiss you right now… morning breath." Haley said sheepishly, her voice muffled by the pillow. Lucas laughed, "Haley, I really couldn't care less about morning breath right now." he said, trying to get her to raise her head for a kiss.

Groaning nervously, Haley pulled up her head and kissed him, only to find out that a kiss first thing in the morning wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her lower back and dragged her closer to him, the blankets tangling between them. This little action suddenly started more heated kisses, as Lucas skimmed Haley's body, causing her to react. He was aware of the sudden change and grinned at her response. Haley was now pressed against his chest, her arms on either side of him, and she placed small kisses on his lips.

Lucas' jaw revealed that his teeth were clenched slightly as Haley moved her body to a more… advantageous position on his. She viewed the response as a victory and kissed him.

--

Later in the morning, Haley managed to escape the room in her robe. She told a determined Lucas, who wanted to her to stay in bed with him, that Holly might be up and it would be rude to leave her alone.

Some time later, Lucas joined the females in the living room, where they all had breakfast, and managed a light-hearted conversation before Holly got up, collected her belongings, thanked them for their hospitality, and left. She said that she would call them again sometime soon to hang out again.

Finally alone, Lucas and Haley wasted no time heading back to the bedroom.

--

Late in the afternoon, Lucas had to go to work, and with unintentional perfect timing, Peyton called to talk to Haley.

"So, what's going on?" Peyton asked her friend.

"Not much; I'm trying to get some laundry done, and read a few chapters for-" Haley said, nonchalantly, knowing that this response would irritate her.

"Who cares about your Sunday chores? I'm talking about you and Lucas. What's happening?" Peyton pressed her, clearly impatient.

Haley laughed, "That's pretty personal, don't you think, Peyt?"

"Oh yeah, right, like we haven't talked about stuff like this before. I told you plenty about Jake and I. Now spill it." Peyton argued.

"Okay, okay. Things are good, I think." Haley hedged.

"So, have you done the deed yet?" Peyton asked bluntly.

"Well…"

"Yes or no?"

"Only four or five times," Haley said, laughing and then chastising herself for being so blunt herself.

"Woo-hoo! It's about damn time! So, things are good now, right?" Peyton asked.

"You could say that." Haley said, and the girls continued their conversation.

--

Several days passed, and Lucas and Haley were completely ecstatic and thrilled by their new relationship. They were spending every waking moment together if they were not at school or work, and the part that relieved them both was that their connection was not all of a sudden just about sex. They were able to hang out like they usually did, and it almost felt like the intimacy was an added bonus. Neither of them could believe how fortunate they were.

Unfortunately, events would soon put a test to their newfound coupledom.


	25. Chapter 25

Lately, Ch. 25

Less than two weeks had passed since Lucas and Haley had taken their relationship to the "next level". They were both enjoying the newness of their deeper connection, and hadn't felt the need to discuss "what it all means" in terms of commitment and labels, because they both felt that they already knew that they were in a relationship.

They hardly spent the nights separated in their own rooms, usually preferring to sleep in one room or the other. They showered each other with affection, and were still able to be teasing and sarcastic.

Nathan was especially happy about their "upgrade", as he called it. He had always known that his brother and "the girl next door" would end up together; even when he was dating Haley, in the back of his mind, he was always insecure about her relationship with Lucas, and felt threatened by how close they were. Now that he and Haley had ended the bitter period after their break-up and were able to be friends, he was happy that she and Lucas had finally accepted what everyone that knew them had known all along.

Brooke thought that this news was fabulous as well, and never missed the opportunity to chastise Lucas and Haley for any public displays of affection that they displayed, even if it was something as simple as holding hands or a chaste kiss on the lips.

Peyton was equally thrilled with two of her closest friends "getting it on" as Brooke stated it. She had already tried to plan a double date with them (and Jake), and Haley had so far balked at the idea, telling Peyton she wasn't ready for that yet.

--

Lucas came home from work one evening and heard the shower running. Eyebrows rising, he got an idea and decided to join Haley in the bathroom. Undressing in his room, he went to the bathroom and opened the door. Steam exited, and humidity hit his skin. Through the curtain, Lucas could see Haley's silhouette, her back to him; and he peeled back the plastic quietly to enter.

"Can I join you?" he asked, and Haley turned, startled to find him in front of her. Getting over her initial surprise, she smiled and nodded, running a hand through her water-slicked hair.

Climbing in, Lucas let the water hit him and concentrated on kissing Haley 'hello'. The water droplets fell over them as they kissed, and Lucas wrapped his arms around her, lifting her briefly from the tub surface.

Lucas lathered Haley's hair, and grinning, massaged her head until lathers of bubbles formed. He watched her closed eyes while he did this, and kissed each eyelid. Giggling, Haley let him move her until her head was directly under the stream of water, rinsing her hair clean.

"You're pretty good at this," she commented, kissing his shoulder when he'd finished.

"Yeah, well, I think I'll need lots of practice to improve," he told her, his grin widening.

Once they had gotten out of the shower, Haley grabbed her bathrobe and Lucas toweled off a little and wrapped the towel around his waist. Haley led him to her bedroom…

--

The next day, Haley told Lucas that she would be staying over Peyton's overnight to take her to the airport the next morning. She was going to a seminar for one of her classes. Lucas told her that he and Nathan would be going out with some of the guys that evening for a few drinks. Lucas kissed her good-bye and she headed over to her friend's apartment.

Later in the night, Peyton got a call from Jake, informing her that he had changed some of his plans and he would be able to drive her to the airport after all. Deciding that she would rather go home to her own bed, Haley drove home and headed to the apartment. As she put the key into the lock, the door opened slightly, and woman's head poked out.

"Can I help you?" asked the blonde as Haley checked the number on the door, certain she had somehow tried to enter the wrong apartment. To her confusion, she looked inside the apartment and saw that it was, indeed her own. She also saw that the woman was wearing just a t-shirt.

"Um, I- this is my apartment. Where is Lucas?" Haley asked, a sickening feeling forming in her stomach.

Just then, Lucas came into the living room, holding a towel, his shirt open, "Hey, I found a-" When he saw Haley, and the look on her face, he froze, surprised to see her. Then, registering what she was assuming, he tried to speak, "Haley-"

Hot tears threatened to fall as Haley spun around and headed out of the doorway, slamming the door behind her. She ran down the hall and down the apartment stairwell.

Lucas took a few seconds to react… the few seconds that he needed to catch her.

Haley was out of the apartment building by the time Lucas had raced down the steps, and was pulling out of the parking lot as he neared her car.

Tears threatening to blind her, Haley furiously wiped them from her eyes and drove.

Standing in the parking lot, Lucas cursed as he watched her car peel away.

--

Haley drove for a while, unsure of where she was headed. Finally, she parked in a vacant lot, and sobbed.

* * *

Sorry, last week's update got delayed due to real life stuff, but hey, that means a shorter wait for you guys for then next update!


	26. Chapter 26

Lately, Ch. 26

It took Haley several minutes to get herself under control. Every time she thought she was calming down, another sob would rack her body and she covered her face in her hands.

She kept seeing the scene in her mind, replaying the moment over and over again- the tall beautiful woman in one of Lucas' shirts. Lucas entering the room and seeing her; his voice, which in her mind sounded sad, calling her name, "Haley." Running out of the apartment, her lungs so tight, she thought they would explode.

Shaking the mental pictures out of her mind, Haley stared at the clock. It was almost one in the morning, and she knew she couldn't go home… not tonight. Normally, she would have gone to Peyton's house, but she didn't want to trouble Peyton with this drama right now- not when she had a flight to catch so early in the morning.

Her next instinct was Brooke's place, but she knew that Brooke would stew about this all night, and offer to go and give Lucas a piece of her mind. While she was thankful for Brooke's hot-headedness most of the time, she just wanted to go to sleep and forget the night had ever happened. Finally, she decided to drive to Nathan's.

Parking outside of his apartment, which he lived in alone, Haley entered the building and arrived at Nathan's doorstep. Pausing, Haley felt guilty for arriving here so late, but knocked anyway, knowing that Nathan would understand.

A moment or so later, Nathan opened the door in his t-shirt and boxers, clearly having just woken up. When he saw Haley standing in front of him, his eyes widened with surprise, "Haley, what's the matter? What are you doing here?" he asked, concern etching his voice.

Haley had been determined not to cry, but as he spoke to her, she felt the dam of tears swelling again and her face crumpled. Wordlessly, Nathan wrapped his arms around her, and directed her into the apartment.

--

Meanwhile, Lucas was busy calling the usual suspects, trying to find out where Haley was. First, he called Peyton, who answered the phone still half asleep, with, "Someone had better be in jail, or dead."

Once Lucas asked her if she knew where Haley was, Peyton was completely awake, and answered that, no, she hadn't seen her since she decided to go back home a while earlier. Lucas told her what Haley had walked in to find, and Peyton's first reaction was to curse at Lucas, calling him every filthy name she could imagine.

Next, Lucas called Brooke, who was just settling into bed. She, too, had no idea where Haley was, and grew worried as Lucas explained the situation to her.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Lucas dialed his brother's number.

Having explained the situation to Nathan over a cup of warm milk, Haley wrapped her arms around herself as the phone rang suddenly.

"It's him." she stated, and Nathan nodded, "Probably."

"I don't want to talk to him or see him right now." Haley said, looking away from the direction of the phone.

"Well, I have a few words for my brother." Nathan said, getting up to answer the phone.

"Please, Nathan. Just tell him I'm not here." Haley begged.

"I can't do that, Hales. He needs to know where you are. He's probably already called Peyton and maybe even Brooke, and they'll be worried about you by now, too." Nathan explained.

Haley closed her eyes, knowing he was right and feeling badly that her friends were now drawn into this whole mess.

"Hello?" Nathan said, picking up the receiver, "Yeah, man, she's here. She's pretty upset… no, I think she just needs a rest right now. You two can sort this out tomorrow. I understand that, but she doesn't want to talk right now, and I think that both of you need to calm down before you talk to each other." Nathan explained, and Haley watched, listening to every word.

"No, don't come down here now. I mean it, Luke. It's not a good idea. Yeah- okay, I will." he said, and hung up the phone.

Haley stood up, panicking, "He's not on his way here? I can't talk to him right now." she said, and Nathan walked over to her and put his arm around her protectively.

"No, he promised he'd wait until tomorrow. He knows you're exhausted." Nathan said trying to soothe her frazzled emotions. Relaxing slightly, Haley nodded, and Nathan led her to his extra bedroom.

"Sleep in here tonight. You can think about everything in the morning." He told her, and stood at the doorway as she crawled into the bed. Turning off the light, he started to close the door, when Haley said, "Nathan?"

"Yeah?" he asked, pausing.

"Thank you." she said softly, and he nodded, "Any time. Remember that."


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: I've been sick for the last week and a half, and feeling shitty and trying to stay on top of all my school stuff at the same time meant that I had no time to think about updating this thing. But I won't disappoint you guys now that I'm feeling better, so I'm updating with a few chapters this time around.

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Lately, Ch. 27

The following morning, Haley and Lucas both woke up at around the same time. Lucas wandered into the hallway and stared into Haley's empty bedroom. He had called both Brooke and Peyton after he had spoken to Nathan, and let the girls know that Haley was okay. Haley exited Nathan's extra bedroom, her eyes tired and red-rimmed.

Nathan watched his friend walk into the kitchen and get herself a glass of water. He had fixed her some breakfast, but she didn't feel much like eating. Nathan could tell that she got little to no rest over night and was clearly exhausted.

"You wanna talk?" he asked when she came to sit on the couch next to him.

Haley smiled slightly, and shrugged, "Not much to talk about, really."

"Come on, Haley. You're hurt, and-"

"I did some thinking last night- before I went to sleep… I guess I figured out that since Lucas and I hadn't really talked about a relationship, all of this is really just unnecessary." Haley said hollowly.

"Haley, you don't really believe that. Even if he did cheat on you, you most definitely had a rela-"

"No, really, Nathan. I mean, think about it. Lucas and I started this thing a couple of weeks ago, and it was never established that we were 'together'. So, he probably just thought that we were 'friends with benefits'." Haley shrugged, biting her lip to keep from crying again.

"Lucas would never treat you like that, Haley. He wouldn't." Nathan assured her.

Haley set the glass of water down and ran her hands through her hair, "Well, then, that's how I'm going to look at it. Nothing was decided, and he's shown me what he thinks about us, so now we can just agree to go back to being nothing more than friends." As she explained this, she knew that even that would not be possible, but she pushed those thoughts aside and swallowed.

Nathan watched her rationalize this idea verbally, and moved to hug his friend. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt her shrink back momentarily, and then accept the hug. Haley rested her head on his shoulder, and then broke away, a fake smile on her face, "Things can go back to the way they were before." she stated.

--

Lucas was on his way out the door, heading to Nathan's. When he opened the door, he found Haley in the hallway, her hand on the doorknob.

Eyes locking, Lucas backed into the apartment to let Haley in, "Hales, thank God-" he said, resisting the urge to hug her.

It took a moment to see that Haley's eyes were tired, and there was something more behind them… emptiness. His heart skipped a beat and he closed the door behind her.

"Haley, please let me explain-" Lucas said, his voice wavering.

Haley set down her bag and turned to face Lucas, "I called Peyton and Brooke to let them know I was okay, and they said you'd called back last night. Thanks." she said, heading to her room.

"Where are you going?" Lucas wanted to know.

"To change and get ready for work." she answered, "I have to be there in half an hour."

"I already called them to let them know you weren't coming in today." Lucas informed her.

"What? Why?" Haley turned to ask, her voice defensive.

"Because we need to talk-"

"Luke, I have responsibilities-"

"Yeah, well this is more important!" he said, his voice rising slightly to show his determination.

"You want to talk? Okay, but I get to go first. Whatever happened last night is done. You don't have to explain or make up excuses. I don't want to know, and I just want to forget that all of this ever happened." Haley said, a finality in her voice.

"What do you mean, 'forget all of this ever happened'? What are you saying, Hales? You want to forget about us?" Lucas challenged, and Haley willed herself not to cry in front of him as he asked the question.

"There is no 'us', Lucas. There never was. We were caught up in something that was never real, and it blew up in our faces. I just want to go back to-"

"Like hell there is no 'us', Hales. Don't you dare close up on me and act like we don't matter to each other." Lucas warned her, taking several steps towards her. Haley backed up a little, her arms folded defensively.

"Of course we do. We're 'best friends', remember?" Haley said in a mocking tone. Lucas gritted his teeth, frustrated.

"We are more than that, and you know it. Look at me, Haley," Lucas said, "Look at me." he repeated as she looked at the ground. She lifted her eyes to his, daringly. "I know you're upset, and hurt- but if you'd let me-" he continued.

"Really? Do you know how I feel Lucas? That's so understanding of you. You're so noble to care enough-" she spat, her eyes blazing.

"Haley, if you'd just-"

"Just what, Luke? Just calm down? Just listen? Just understand? I already understand! I understand that you don't owe me anything. You proved that last night when I walked in and found a half-naked girl in our apartment. Forgive me if I don't want to hear the gory details, or hear any excuses!" she said, turning and rushing to her room.

Lucas followed her, and caught up enough to have the door slammed in his face. He tried to turn the knob, only to find it locked.

Banging on the door, Lucas called, "Haley! Open this door or I'm going to knock it down! Please!"


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: On here it seems to say that it has more words than the file I uploaded actually does, which is strange. Let me know if it shows up strange somehow

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Lately, Ch. 28

Haley broke down into tears as she collapsed on her bed. Lucas continued to pound on the door, and so she put on her stereo to block the sound of his yelling and pleading.

Lucas heard the music switch on, and announced, "Okay, you leave me no choice!" He turned so his shoulder was against the door and backed up and slammed into it once, and then again. Hearing the slams, Haley turned off her stereo and shouted, "Okay, stop it Lucas! I'm opening the door- God!" The pounding subsided as Lucas waited for the door to open.

Wiping her tears, Haley opened the door to face him, "Someone's going to complain about the noise if you don't keep it down!" she hissed, one arm still holding her door open.

"I'm not going to walk away from this, Haley. I refuse to walk away from us." Lucas answered.

"Why do you keep saying that? 'Us'! There is no us, Luke. We had a good time while it lasted- sex between friends- it's not a new concept."

"Just stop it! That's not all this is and you know it. Sex isn't the only thing that we have with each other, and we both know it." Lucas insisted, and Haley laughed bitterly.

"Well, I guess it's something you also have with whoever the girl was last night." she shot back at him, "Obviously, since we never really discussed any kind of commitment, you didn't feel the need to turn her down."

Lucas tried to grab Haley's hands, but she pulled back, "We both knew what we were getting into when we made love," he said.

"Don't! Don't try to get sentimental with me-"

"That's what it was, Haley. We made love- we have something so amazing… don't ignore it." he pleaded.

"Why are you doing this?" Haley asked, her voice breaking and tears streaming down her cheeks. Lucas reached up to her cheeks with his hands to wipe her tears with his thumbs. Haley's hands reached up to prevent this, but he held on, her fingers gripping his.

"You know you feel the same way. We have this connection, Hales- something that no one else has with us- I'm not giving it up."

"You already did."

"You are the most important thing in my life. You're my other half… the other half of my heart, my soul, my life." he said, continuing to talk even as Haley cried.

"I can't do this, Luke- I can't!" she closed her eyes, her hands wrapped around his wrists.

"When I kiss you- God, Haley, when I touch you- I'm home. You're my home." his voice broke and now he was crying, too.

He let her go and she sat on her bed, unable to stand. He knelt in front of her, still talking, "That girl that was here last night. She lives on the first floor. Her boyfriend was arguing with her when I came back from my drinks with the guys. I could hear them from the hallway by the elevator. I went to the door… she opened it, screaming and crying- her clothes were ripped." he paused. Haley watched him, waiting for him to continue.

"The guy tried to pull her back in. I stepped forward, trying to stop him. He started swinging, grabbing at me. He ripped my shirt- I managed to get her away from him- he was too drunk to follow us. By then the police had shown up. Someone had obviously called but no one had gone over to help. The guy was arrested, and Mindy- she was so shaken up, I took her over to the apartment to calm down while she waited for her mother to pick her up. She changed into my shirt because she was such a mess. That's all that happened, I swear it." he finished, looking up at her.

Haley closed her eyes, feeling foolish and horrible, "I'm sorry." she said in a small voice, her hand covering her mouth.

"I am so sorry that I hurt you- I know what it looked like when you walked in, but you left so quickly, I didn't have time to explain." he apologized, and Haley shook her head, "You don't have to say you're sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I saw your face, Haley, and it killed me. I would never do something like that to you- ever." he swore.

Haley swallowed, "This is all so crazy-"

"But now you know the truth," he said, his hands taking hers again. Haley said nothing for a moment, "Maybe this is just a sign… maybe it's not the right time-" she said haltingly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I walk in and just jump to the conclusion that… It was all so much simpler when we were just friends. Maybe-"

"No, Haley." Lucas already knew what she was going to say.

"Maybe we should just put a hold on all of this. Get our heads together."

"Haley, we can't go back- things have already changed-"

"Luke, these feelings… they scare me. They're happening so fast-"

"I know, but we can't stop it- we can't rewind and go back to the way things were. Haley, God, when I look at you- I want you. I look at you, and I want to kiss you- touch you. Please…Just tell me what you need. I just need to know that we can do this." He pleaded, and leaned forward to kiss her. This kiss was desperate and powerful, and Haley felt herself falling into it.

She clung to him, and almost as suddenly, pulled away, "What do we do, Luke?"

"I won't let us give this up, Haley. This is everything- you are everything. Just looking at you- my heart is- God, Haley, I love you so much." He kissed her face, tasting her tears, mixing her with his own.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Rating is R, I'm thinking it's just for a bit of language, can't really see anything else in there.

* * *

Lately, Ch. 29

Rating: R

Haley and Lucas stood silent for what seemed like an eternity.

Lucas was afraid to speak because he wasn't sure what Haley's response was going to be, and he was terrified that she was going to end things abruptly.

Haley sat on the bed, staring at her hands, trying to process all of the feelings that had been overwhelming her for the past couple of months.

Lucas had just said that he loved her, and she believed him, but that almost scared her more.

"Haley," Lucas spoke finally, breaking the silence, "I meant what I said just now. I love you. Not just as my oldest friend, but as someone I want to spend my life with. I am so in love with you... I can't even think straight." he admitted, unable to look into her eyes.

Haley heard these words and her heart skipped a beat. She looked at Lucas and saw that he was nervous, or afraid, and suddenly felt horrible for hurting him like she was.

"Luke, I- look at me, please." she asked him, and gently pulled his head to face her, a thumb carefully skimming his cheek, "I love you too- in that same way... I'm in love with you, but I don't know if all of this is happening too fast, or what- I just feel like if we're not careful, we could lose everything. You're everything to me, too, you know."

Lucas took a deep breath, and waited, "What does this mean, then?" he asked, searching her eyes for some hint; something to tell him he wasn't going to lose her now, when he had just found her.

"I don't know, exactly. I just think that we need to slow down a little. I mean, we went from being friends-only, to sleeping together- with no wait time in between!" Haley reminded him.

"Haley, you know that this isn't about sex for me-" Lucas started, and Haley interrupted, "I know, I would never think that it was just about sex... but I think we may have rushed the relationship. I mean, we never had the period in between, where we flirted, made out, went on dates-"

Lucas nodded, understanding, "You want the whole courting thing, is that it?" he asked, grinning, and Haley smiled gently, nodding, "I don't know, maybe."

"If this means that we still have a chance, Haley, I will do anything. We can stop the physical stuff until you're ready. I can absolutely handle that. I just have to know that you're willing to give this chance." he explained.

Haley listened to Lucas' suggestion, and she grinned widely, "Of course I am. God, Luke, I already told you I love you. I'm not stupid enough to just throw it all away. Are you really saying that we can try this a little slower from now on?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm not saying it's going to be easy- I mean- you're amazing, and I want you, obviously... but I can control myself. I know that we can definitely do this." Lucas said teasingly, kissing Haley's shoulder, and she leaned her head so that it touched his.

"Thank you." she said, turning to wrap her arms around him gratefully.

"I just have to make it clear that I am in this with you exclusively, Hales. There are no other women involved, and there won't be." Lucas told her.

"I know, and I feel the same way about seeing anyone else. You're stuck with me, Scott." Haley teased.

--

Haley had to deal with several phone calls from her concerned friends, all wanting to know how things had resolved themselves with Lucas, and she had to explain to Peyton and Brooke that Lucas hadn't cheated like she had assumed. Both girls were highly relieved and agreed to put their revenge plans to rest.

She told the girls that she and Lucas would be taking things more slowly in their relationship, and she was really hopeful that this could be long-term.

Next, she called Nathan, and thanked him again for his hospitality and understanding, and explained to him what had happened. Nathan, being Nathan, tried to jokingly bad-mouth his brother, saying, "Only Luke could nearly wreck his life by trying to do a good deed."

Meanwhile, Karen and Keith's wedding was being planned. The wedding date had been set and was only three months away. During her spare time, Haley was helping Karen plan for it, giving assistance with the florist, the reception hall, the cake, etc.

Karen and Keith had been thrilled, although not surprised in the least that Haley and Lucas were now a couple. Karen insisted that she had predicted the relationship from the time that they were eight, playing together in the backyard. Lucas rolled his eyes, allowing his mother to tell the story.

As they sat down, Keith slapped Lucas on the back and congratulated him for "getting the girl". Lucas didn't argue, and admitted that he was the luckiest guy in the world. Haley walked up behind him and hugged his neck from behind, kissing his cheek lightly.

--

When they returned to the apartment, Lucas informed Haley that they would be going on their first official date as a couple the following night.

"What if I'm busy?" Haley asked, challenging him with a grin on her face.

"Well, cancel your plans, then. I am taking my woman out on the town." Lucas said, reaching for her.

"Oh, so now I'm 'your woman'?" Haley asked, trying to sound irritated, but Lucas could see through the facade.

"Yup, and don't you forget it. Now get in the kitchen and fix my dinner." he said, ducking when Haley swung a pillow at his head. He leaned into her, and tackled her on the sofa, finding her lips quickly. Haley forgot to be annoyed and kissed him back.

* * *

Hope that is enough for now, some intersting stuff coming up ;)


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: 1. I'm giving you last week's update and this week's update now, since I'm going to be out of the country for the weekend, and therefore can't post more.

2. And, as a special treat because I am in a good mood, there is a third chapter. Why the good mood? Well, there is a 'little' online fansite called Fan Forum, on which One Tree Hill has a board (the most posted on board in the site if I do remember correctly) And on that board Lucas and Haley have their own thread, where a bunch of fans (myself included) do nothing but talk about then 24/7. The thread is at a milestone at the moment, having reached it's 100th thread. That is a huge deal for us, and the thread's opening post has been totally revamped and made gorgeous by the other lovely girls with icons, arts and the works.

Basically it's a party, and I'm telling you all dear readers to go check it out, you'll be amazed.

/f153/pornstars-les-hjs-100-hot-chocolate-5-miniture-golf-course-200-100-threads-priceless-62861124/

and if you are so inclined, please sign up to the site and join us in the discussion (if you already have an account I also urge you to join us!)

There, now that that's out of the way, enjoy!

* * *

Lately, Ch. 30

The following day, Haley woke up a little later than usual and found that Lucas was already up and had left the apartment. She walked into the kitchen and found a note:

Haley-  
I will be back for our date tonight. Be ready by 7:00.

I love you,  
Luke

Suddenly, Haley was nervous and she fixed herself some coffee and a bagel before finally breaking down and dialing Lucas' cell phone number.

"Hello?" he asked as he picked up.

"Hey, it's me. You left so early this morning, I didn't get a chance to ask you about our date tonight. Where are we going?" she asked, curious.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Lucas teased.

"Well, how am I supposed to know what to wear?" she asked, biting her thumbnail.

"I'm sure you'll pick something perfect to wear-"

"Lucas! You have to give me some kind of hint- should I dress up? I mean, I could wear jeans..." she said, and Lucas chuckled over the phone.

"You would look beautiful in anything." he teased, knowing that this was not what she wanted to hear at the moment.

"Lucas Scott! If you don't at least give me a hint as to what I should wear I am going to bed early tonight!" she warned, getting frustrated.

"Okay, okay. Why don't you wear that dress you wore to Brooke's party a couple of months ago?" he suggested, and Haley's smile widened.

"I didn't think you noticed that dress." she said, her voice giving away her amusement.

"Baby, I would have had to be blind not to have noticed you in that dress." he answered.

Haley's cheeks burned and she finally found her voice to ask, "Okay, so when are you coming home?"

"In a while. I have a few errands to do." he said cryptically, "I have to go now- love you." he added.

"I love you, too." she answered, hanging up the phone.

Hours passed, and Lucas still had not returned. It was almost five, and she hadn't heard from him since she called.

Getting irritated, she tried his cell phone, but he didn't pick up. At five, she decided to take her shower and slowly start getting ready for the date. She figured that he would be home by the time she got out of the shower.

He had still not returned when she came out of the bathroom, and she took her time, putting on body lotion, applying some make-up, and lounging around the apartment in her robe, waiting for him to get home. She dried and styled her hair, and still, no Lucas. By 6:30, she decided to put on her dress, and was completely ready with lots of time to spare.

Trying his cell phone, Haley got his voice-mail, and was growing nervous that something was wrong. At exactly seven o'clock, there was a knock at the door. Automatically thinking that something was wrong, Haley hurried to the door to see who it was.

Opening it, she found Lucas standing in front of her, dressed in a suit, his blue eyes gleaming as he held a rose up to her.

Relieved and stunned, Haley watched as his eyes moved over her body and his smile widened.

"You look... absolutely amazing." he breathed, offering the rose to her.

"You look incredible." Haley responded, taking the rose and hugging him.

"Are you ready to go?" Lucas asked, still holding her close to him.

Haley nodded, "Yeah, just let me grab my coat and purse."

Lucas waited at the door, and Haley turned to see that he still hadn't entered the apartment.

"Why are you waiting out there?" she asked.

"We're on our first date. I wouldn't presume that you wanted me to come in." he said teasingly, but still didn't move to enter.

They were headed down to the first floor of the apartment, and walked out the front door and Haley was shocked to see a limousine waiting at the curb.

Looking over at Lucas, her mouth opened with a question that she couldn't quite get out, and he opened the door for her to get in.

"Luke, this is way too much. Your truck would have been just fine." she finally managed to say as he settled in the seat next to her.

"I figured that it was a special occasion." he said sincerely as Haley's eyes scanned the interior of the limo.

"You are so sweet to be doing all of this. It is too much."

"Just sit back and enjoy it." he insisted, "You deserve all of it."

When the limo reached its destination, Haley could hardly believe where they were.

"Lucas! This is probably the most expensive restaurant within a 30 mile radius!" she said, resisting his motion get follow him out of the limo.

"Haley. Just forget the price of everything tonight, and be here with me. In the moment." Lucas told her, taking hold of her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Haley followed him out of the car.


	31. Chapter 31

Again -- /f153/pornstars-les-hjs-100-hot-chocolate-5-miniture-golf-course-200-100-threads-priceless-62861124/ --

Go and enjoy yourselves, you know you want to!

* * *

Lately, Ch. 31

Entering the restaurant, Haley was immediately nervous and felt a little out of place in such a sophisticated establishment. The hostess seated them at a table, and Lucas pulled out Haley's chair for her to sit.

Smiling thankfully, Haley looked around as Lucas sat down.

"Luke, this place in unreal." she commented, scanning the room carefully.

It wasn't a very large restaurant, but the décor was immaculate, and the wait-staff seemed to be accommodating yet high-brow.

"Do you like it?" Lucas asked, concerned that she was comfortable.

"Uh, sure- of course. It's perfect." she assured him.

The waiter came to introduce himself, "Good evening, my name is Edward, and I will be helping you with your meal. Can I offer you something to drink?" the waiter asked formally.

"Hello, Edward. I'll have a water, and my date will have..." Lucas paused, waiting for Haley to answer for herself.

"An iced tea, and a water, please." Haley stated.

"Very well. I will return shortly to take your order." Edward turned to leave.

Eyes widening, Haley looked at Lucas and giggled, "Very well." she mimicked quietly when Edward was out of range. Lucas laughed at her impression.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" he asked, as another member of the staff came to their table to fill their water glasses quickly.

"Yes, you have- but thank you again." Haley said, feeling a little self-conscious.

Lucas took a sip of his water nervously. He cleared his throat, "I don't know why I'm so nervous all of a sudden." he admitted, and Haley nodded, "I know- this place is so fancy."

"I'm not nervous because of the restaurant," Lucas clarified, "I'm nervous about being here with you."

Haley smiled reassuringly and took his hand, "Why? You already know me, Lucas. Probably better than anyone in the world."

"I know, I guess I just feel different all of a sudden. I want this night to be special for you."

"Hey," she said, "It already is. I'm with you- that's all that matters."

Lucas watched her speak and smiled, relaxing a little. "I just want you to have a good time."

"I am. I will."

It was then that Lucas and Haley opened their menus, and Haley gasped, nearly falling out of her chair.

"Oh my God! You have GOT to be kidding me." she said loudly as she looked over the prices.

Lucas watched her expression and his eyes bulged slightly when he saw the entree prices as well.

"Lucas! This is insane! Please tell me this place take coupons!" Haley whispered.

"Don't worry about the bill, Haley. I want to spare no expense-" Lucas smiled at her comment.

"Lucas! The appetizers are almost thirty dollars- and that's nothing compared to the actual meals!"

"So what?"

"So what? So what? You work way too hard to blow your money on a place like this!"

"One night isn't going to break the bank, Hales. It's really okay." he tried to convince her.

"Luke- would you be really upset if I asked if we could go?" she asked carefully, knowing he had planned the night carefully, but unable to keep her thoughts to herself.

"Do you really want to go?"

"It's not that I don't really appreciate and love the gesture, Lucas, really. But I just won't be able to enjoy a meal that costs so much. Are you mad?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head, "No, I'm not."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I want you to be happy with the evening, so if that means changing the plans a little, then that's okay."

Just then, the waiter arrived with Haley's iced tea, and Haley stood up, "I apologize, but something has come up unexpectedly. We have to leave immediately."

"I trust that you're not disappointed with the establishment?" Edward asked, concerned.

"No, not at all. An emergency has arisen and we have to-" Lucas stopped, trying to think of the right words.

"Tend to it." Haley finished when Lucas paused.

"Very well, right this way. Perhaps you can return another time. Thank you for visiting." Edward said, showing them to the entrance.

"Thank you." Haley said as she and Lucas walked out and headed to the limo, which was parked on the side of the restaurant.

"Change of plans. We are going to destination two a little early." Lucas told the driver as he and Haley climbed into the back.

The limo drove off as Haley rested her head on Lucas' shoulder, "Are you sure you're okay with leaving?" she asked, still worried that he was disappointed.

"Of course. I don't care where we eat. But I do have another place to take you now." he said a little cryptically, kissing the top of her head. Haley's interest was peaked yet again.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: And for one last time, for those that STILL haven't ventured over to the best place on earth to talk about Lucas and Haley with cool people like myself, I'm telling you, check out

/f153/pornstars-les-hjs-100-hot-chocolate-5-miniture-golf-course-200-100-threads-priceless-62861124/

and join in the party!

* * *

Lately, Ch. 32

Haley grasped onto Lucas' hand as they sat in the limo, on their way to the next stop. Her fingers stroked his as she rested against him, content and relaxed. Lucas took his free hand and brought her hand up to his lips, tenderly kissing her knuckles.

The small act of closeness brought tears to Haley's eyes. She smiled as she drew Lucas' face closer to her own and kissed him warmly. She loved this close feeling that she had with her friend, and was still so thankful that they were finally able to have these moments to show each other how much they felt about the other.

Lucas looked at Haley's eyes brimming with tears and his brow crinkled with worry, "Baby, are you okay?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

Haley shook her head to let him know she was okay, "I'm fine. I'm just so lucky. I guess I am realizing it more and more." she said through her tears as she smiled, her fingers coming to Lucas' face and resting them there, her eyes taking in his expression and the look in his eyes.

"I'm the lucky one. I am in love with the most amazing person in the world, and am lucky enough that she loves me back." he replied sincerely.

The limousine stopped and Haley glanced out of the window to see where they were. The tinted windows prevented her from getting a good look, and it wasn't until Lucas opened the door that she saw that they were by the beach.

Lucas saw the smile on Haley's face, and his heart melted. He took her hand and led her to the small wooden stairs that led to a lookout deck among the sand dunes.

The deck was covered in rose petals, and although some had blown into the dunes by the wind, the majority still covered the floor. A small table with two chairs was on one side, with two blankets and a radio. A bottle in an ice bucket and two glasses completed the scene.

"You did this?" Haley asked as they neared the scene, looking over at Lucas.

He nodded and turned on a couple of large flashlight stands that were positioned on both ends of the deck. "I had some candles here before, but every time I tried to light them, the wind blew them out," he admitted sheepishly, and Haley watched as he pulled out a chair for her to sit.

Lucas turned on the radio, which played soft music in the background. He popped open the bottle of champagne and filled her glass and his own.

"What is all of this for?" Haley asked, her eyes shining as she watched the boy she'd known her whole life sit across from her, but not before wrapping a blanket around her to shield her from the wind that was blowing gently.

"It's for you. I wanted our first date to be something that you always remember." Lucas admitted, holding up his glass. Haley followed his lead. "To the most gorgeous woman I know- who is beautiful inside and out, and who I can't imagine living without. I don't know why it took me so long to realize how I felt about you, but now that I know, I'm not letting you go." he toasted, and Haley swallowed hard, trying not to cry.

"I love you." she managed to say hoarsely as they clinked glasses and each took sips. Then Lucas leaned forward and kissed her, and Haley almost forgot how to breathe.

When the kiss ended, Lucas got a glint in his eye, "So, Haley... tell me about yourself."

Haley looked at him suspiciously and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, this being our first date, I want to hear more about you. Where did you do to high school? What's your major? What do you do for fun?" he asked, grinning. Haley laughed, amused, "Oh, right. Well, let's see here- where do I start?" she asked and then began telling Lucas the information that he already knew.

"And my best friend is a guy I've known all of my life. He's the sweetest guy in the world." she said, and Lucas' eyes twinkled.

"I don't know if I like the sound of that. I feel a little threatened by this other guy in your life." Lucas pretended and Haley played along.

"Well, he is pretty important to me. Not mention totally hot." she teased.

"Really?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrow, grinning.

"Oh yeah. He has the most gorgeous blue eyes, and a smile that would melt any girl's heart. And his body-" Haley said, and she saw Lucas blush, "Well, let's just say he is the perfect guy." she added.

The two sipped on their champagne and Lucas surprised Haley with strawberries. They had a few and Haley managed to get a dance from Lucas, who was not the most coordinated person in the world, but he held her tightly in his arms and moved with her to the music.

"I have to say, Mr. Scott, that this is a most impressive first date. You really outdid yourself tonight." Haley said, leaning up to his ear as she rested her head on his chest.

"Even though dinner didn't go quite as planned?" he asked, and Haley nodded, "Definitely."

As it got a bit colder, Lucas pulled away from Haley slightly, "Are you ready to go home?" he asked, and Haley nodded, suddenly getting an idea.

"Hang on one second, I need to make a call." Haley said, giggling slightly as she fished her cell phone from her purse.

Lucas watched as she headed to the limo for some privacy. Haley dialed Information and thought to herself that her idea wasn't quiet as fancy as Lucas' had been, but it was something that they would both enjoy.

Lucas started collecting the supplies from the deck and brought them to the limo, where the chauffer took them and placed them in the trunk.

On their way back to the apartment, Haley informed Lucas that she wanted 10 minutes to go up to the apartment alone before Lucas followed her.

Curious, Lucas agreed and once they arrived, Haley kissed Lucas passionately and headed up to the apartment while Lucas checked his watch and waited.

* * *

More to come next week!


End file.
